The Forgotten Enchanted Forest Chronicles
by SJO
Summary: Magic brought them together, but can a curse tear them apart? Characters from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles in Storybrooke from "Once Upon a Time." Please read and review.
1. Daystar, Before the Curse

The Forgotten Enchanted Forest Chronicles

A _Once Upon a Time/Enchanted Forest Chronicles _Fanfic by SJO

Note: _Once Upon a Time _is owned by ABC, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles are owned by Patricia C. Wrede, not me. I started to get this idea when Regina referred to the fairy tale world as "the enchanted forest" in the episode "We Are Both." It caused me to wonder if one of my favorite fantasy book series could have a part in one of my current favorite television shows. Some of the details from the book series may not be entirely accurate, but that's on purpose; as the show twists details from classic fairy tales, I plan to twist some details from EFC. I also may make some references to EFC fanfics I have written in the past.

I decided to change things a bit, hopefully, to get more reviews. I have a feeling the reason this story is being ignored is because very few people are familiar with Wrede's excellent series, though you really should be. So, I'm going to try telling these stories from first-person point of view and explaining more stuff from the books. Consider all of these accounts to be written after the curse broke, sort of the characters trying to sort through their memories of the past. The chapter names are going to change to the speaker and the time the speaker is writing about

Chapter 1: Daystar, Before the Curse

I've had a lot to think about lately. I've been in high school for twenty-eight years, and Principal Lloyd, who I now know as Willin, just graduated me. He finally told me there was no reason I had to go to school. With no job, no way out, and nothing to do with my life, all I can do is think. So, I've been sitting in this tree by the border drawing pictures and writing in this journal. I've decided that I'm unlike anyone in Storybrooke.

I'm double-cursed.

Maybe even triple, or more than that, I don't know. And it's all Herman's fault.

The night I first heard of the curse was so happy. We were eating dinner, actually quite a feast. I was watching my mother and father giggling and clinking glasses. "Happy anniversary, Dear Heart," Father said to Mother. "You look as beautiful today as you did on your wedding day."

"Oh, Mendanbar!" my mother blushed.

"I remember it so well, your face glowing with those fireflowers in your bouquet. You were so glorious! But I knew that the first day I saw you, with that rusty apron and tangled hair."

"Well, you still look as handsome as the day I met you, Darling, like you haven't aged a day." They both laughed.

I sighed. "I can't believe it. My parents are still acting like giggly-newlyweds on their twentieth anniversary."

They looked at me. "Daystar!" my mother said. "You know better than to be so rude!"

"Give him a break, Cimorene. He's still a teenager. It's normal for him to be embarrassed by his parents."

"That's no excuse, Mendanbar. I raised him better than that."

Father shook his head. "You're right, of course, Son. It is our twentieth anniversary, but since I was . . . uh, _indisposed_ for most of those years, it just doesn't feel like that many."

"I know, it's just . . ." I couldn't think of a way to say it that wouldn't make Mother mad. So I just took another bite of my meat. "Oh, this is really good! What is it?"

"Griffin steak. Had to have something extra-special for our big day."

"Special is right," Mother said. "One wrong cut, and it's poisonous. It's worse than blowfish. Quite a challenge to make." Mother always handled tough recipes like this; she didn't trust the kitchen staff all the time. She didn't want the fact that she was Queen of the Enchanted Forest stand in the way of her eating quality food.

"So, what are you doing this weekend, Son?"

"I don't know. I may go over to see Shiara, if she's free, and if things have cooled off since last time. But I expect I'll just spend it in the library." Shiara's the closest thing I have to a girlfriend. She's a firewitch I met in the Enchanted Forest when I was sixteen. She had trouble doing magic, but I accidently made it so that she could only do magic when she was polite. She kept wanting me to fix it, and I kept promising that I would, but I found tremendously difficult because I liked her better that way. She's now the Chief Cook and Librarian for Kazul, the King of the Dragons, and I went to see her from time to time, keep our friendship alive. But since she's a firewitch, she has a temper that never seems to die out, so she seems to be mad at me for something all the time. Against my better judgment, I said, "What about you?"

"We're going to the beach for the weekend, spending our time at the same bed and breakfast where you were conceived."

I shook my head; I didn't need to know that. "Does that mean I get the kingdom while you are gone?"

"Not so fast. Willin's in charge."

"Oh, Willin! But I'm the Prince!"

"I know, but I don't think you're quite ready for the responsibility of running the whole kingdom just yet."

"No parties while we're gone, Daystar," Mother warned. "I want this place spic-and-span when we get back."

"Yes, Mother," I answered.

"Alright. Let's start packing." Father rose from the table and started picking at something in the air when Willin, his advisor who is an elf, burst in looking quite frantic.

"Your Majesties, please forgive the interruption, but you have an unexpected guest who has just arrived and begs audience. She says it is a matter of extreme importance."

"_She_?" Mother said. "It is not a princess, is it?"

"No, you majesty, it is a fairy."

"A fairy?" Father repeated.

"Um, I'm in no need of a fairy godmother," I protested. "I'm nearly an adult, and even though I'm unmarried—"

"I believe the matter is direr than that, my prince," Willin answered. "To be quite honest, she appears terrified."

"It must be a circumstance out of her own control, one that cannot be solved with even her own magic," Father decided. "That doesn't happen often. Fairies are usually so independent. Well, send her in, Willin."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," the elf replied with a bow. Father then made a plucking motion in the air, and all the leftover food from the feast vanished. See, in the Enchanted Forest, magic is everywhere, and Father, as the King of the Enchanted Forest, can sense it and use it directly. I can too since the forest has recognized me as its heir. It's like a net of invisible threads all around us that we can touch and create any spell we want. Father also summoned our best crowns with a wave of his hand. We all put them on and stood as Willin reentered. "Presenting the leader of the fairies, the Reul Ghorm!"

A tiny woman wearing a blue dress flew into the room and hovered above us. "Oh, Your Majesties, King Mendanbar, Queen Cimorene, Prince Daystar" (she bowed her head at each of us as she said our names), "I apologize at this sudden arrival. I understand you do not wish to be disturbed at this time, as it is Your Majesties' anniversary."

"Oh, it's no trouble at all, Miss, uh, Ghorm is it?" Father replied.

"You may call me Blue Star, so please Your Majesty, or simply the Blue Fairy. Most people of my kind know who I am."

"Oh yeah, I've heard of you!" I said. "You brought that puppet to life, the one without strings! Pi . . . some really long name that starts with a p."

"Daystar, please," Father said, motioning me to calm down. "As I was saying, if there is a problem beyond the fairies' control, we always stand ready to help."

"Oh, it's not just the fairies, Your Majesty. It's everyone's problem, and I fear you are our only hope. We have just learned the nature of Queen Regina's curse."

"Queen Regina?"

"At Snow's wedding?" Mother asked. The Blue Fairy nodded. "I told you about that, remember? It was almost a year ago."

"Oh, oh, right! The nontraditional curse at the wedding. Well, don't you fairies usually have a method of finding a loophole, a spell set up so the curse will be lessened and/or easily broken?"

"Usually, yes, but not this time. That's why I came to you!"

"Well, what is it?" Mother asked anxiously. "Is their kingdom troubled by great misfortune, failing crops, war?"

"You don't understand. Regina did not only curse Snow and Charming's kingdom. She cursed _everyone_, all creatures living in the Enchanted Forest. She is going to send us to a faraway land with no magic without our memories or our powers."

Stunned silence filled the room. We looked at each other. A world without magic? How could we possibly live in such a place?

"Does . . . such a place exist?" I asked.

"It certainly does. I once sent someone who made a wish to go there, but that is a long story."

"And what do you wish of us?" Father asked slowly.

"Could you please tell me if there is any way we can combat this? Some great power that can withstand this curse when it comes, lessen its blow, perhaps even resist it? If we can find just one spell or hiding place or cave or hidden tunnel, we may be able to protect a hero who will save us."

The room went silent again as they all thought. Then, I snapped my fingers. "The Lake of Weeping Dreamers!"

"What is that?"

"It's on the edge of the forest. It's not really a lake; it's a portal disguised as a lake, and it connects to a world where magic does exist. Granted, it's much rarer than it is here in the Enchanted Forest and doesn't work the same way, but it's there." My father discovered it a couple years prior, and I used it to study magic at a school called Hogwarts, but that's another story.

"Yeah, that's an idea," Father nodded. "Now, we do have to be careful. It doesn't like to transport several people at once. We learned that the hard way one year." That's when we tried to start a foreign exchange program with Hogwarts. It's enough to say that it didn't work the way we thought it would, so we were never able to get that program off the ground. "And people who take it must never expect to come here to stay again."

"Well, the idea does have some promise," the Blue Fairy nodded. "Can you show me this lake?"

"Certainly." Father grabbed some threads of magic, closed his eyes, and pulled. The four of us were taken on the transportation spell, but when we materialized, we were standing by a dry riverbed. The Lake of Weeping Dreamers was gone.

What followed was, putting it mildly, a mess. Father was furious, and he disappeared deep into the forest where we couldn't follow. Mother was trying to be strong and regal, but I could tell that she was on the brink of tears because her anniversary was ruined. The Blue Fairy was clearly anxious and worried. And I was just confused and frustrated. We didn't get any answers that night. Father called our three closest friends: Telemain the magician, his wife Morwen the Witch, and Kazul. The same stunned silence hung in the air that evening when he told them about the curse. Poor Telemain kept twitching and quivering his lips as though for the first time in his life he could not say a word. Then too suddenly, that silence was broken.

"I TOLD YOU!" a hoarse voice shouted. We looked up at a wooden gargoyle in the study corner. He was built with the castle to inform us of its upkeep, but most of the time he just insults us or offers advice nobody wants. "Didn't I tell you? I said take the magic iron dance shoes as your wedding present. You only had to throw them into a fire overnight, give 'em to Mom, and that would take care of her. But nooooooooooo, you thought the bride would have a lot more use for a crepe pan. Thanks a lot, Cimorene, you doomed us all!"

"Hey, you don't talk to my wife like that!" Father yelled up at the gargoyle.

"But you do have to admit, it makes you wonder why we didn't nip this in the bud," Kazul brought up.

"Making her dance until she dropped down dead?" Mother answered. "I couldn't do that, not even to Regina."

Silence again. Finally, Telemain found words. "A . . . a world without . . . magic?"

"I know," I replied. "I still find it hard to believe such a place exists."

"It must exist. In order to be effective, such a curse is required to have a point of . . . oh, what's the point?"

"Telley," Morwen said softly but firmly.

"But what are we to do, Morwen? Thirty years of painstaking research and analysis and cataloging of almost twenty different types of magic, wasted just like that!"

"Well, you think that's bad, what about us dragons?" Kazul grumbled. "If we cannot find enough magic in our surroundings, we stop making our own, and without magic we die. It's why when dragons leave the Mountains of Morning they have to be extremely careful where they go." I know dragons can leave the Mountains of Morning, the dragon kingdom, because I learned about dragons of the other world at Hogwarts. But Kazul taught me a useful principle—dragons have an excellent instinctual homing device; no matter where they are, all dragons know their way back to the Mountains of Morning.

"Maybe we should think about this more positively," Morwen offered. "This will give us an opportunity to try something new. I could see myself becoming a nurse, for either people or animals. Telemain, maybe we could be teachers again. We both loved teaching at Hogwarts."

"But what would we teach?" Telemain complained. "Magic is all I know."

"Well, there's Muggle magic," I offered. "I heard about that at Hogwarts. It's like electricity and machines."

"Or economics," Morwen added. "I remember that time you did so well with—"

Father hit the table. "Everyone, let's just put our worries and 'what ifs' aside for the moment and discuss this issue more practically! I'm hearing a lot of problems but no concrete solutions."

"Yes, sorry, Father," I answered meekly.

"Right. I spoke to some of the forest creatures to determine what happened to the Lake of Weeping Dreamers. The lion who guards the Pool of Gold turned out to be my best witness. He said that a few nights ago, a hero came and did battle with the lake's guardian and defeated her."

"The Lake of Weeping Dreamers has a guardian?"

"Well, _had. _She lived at the bottom of the lake and evidently only showed herself if she was summoned. Without the guardian, the lake could not survive, and it dried up." He added under his breath, "I wish someone told _me _about it."

"Willin probably has record of it somewhere," Mother answered.

"At any rate, we failed to meet the Blue Fairy's request. I spoke with her, and she explained that in the same prophecy that described the nature of this impending curse, the means of breaking the curse was also laid out. It seems the one destined to break Regina's curse is Snow's unborn child."

"Hey, just like me!" I observed. I was also destined to break a curse before I was even born, and I did when I was sixteen. Mother raised me on her own until then.

"That's right. Of course, just like in your situation, that's gonna take a while. The Blue Fairy wants protection for Snow and possibly Charming so that they can raise the child in safety, just as Cimorene did with Daystar, and then send the child on its way to destiny when the time is right. Of course, I don't think we can use Cimorene's entire strategy since this curse is supposedly going to take us to a world we don't know, so we need something else. Maybe a barrier or a shield or a magic amulet."

"You know, I've heard of a tree that resists black magic, no matter how strong," Morwen said thoughtfully. "As I recall, it makes its own magic and can be unpredictable, but it could probably be fashioned into some kind of shelter."

"That sounds perfect, Morwen."

"I mean, that is if we can even find one. I hear they are very rare, even in the Enchanted Forest. I should look it up in my library tonight."

"You do that, and we'll go looking for it in the morning. Telemain, I want you to find out all you can regarding the nature of this curse, what will happen to us and so forth."

"Uh, Your Majesty," Telemain said nervously.

Father ignored him. "And Kazul, I want you to search all your dragon lore and see if you can discover any way to combat the curse. I'm sure if there's any type of magic that's strong enough to withstand it, it's dragon magic. After all, it's been over twenty years, and Cimorene's fireproofing spell hasn't worn thin at all."

"Not to mention, she uses that couplet for _everything_," I added.

Mother laughed and nodded. "That's true."

"Your Majesty!" Telemain said louder.

"What is it, Telemain?" Father answered, very irritated.

"You know I don't specialize in black magic. In fact, I'm given to understand that my contact for such queries is currently incarcerated." I stared at him; Telemain's got a tendency to go into very technical vocabulary. It almost hurts him to dumb it down. He explained uncomfortably, "Locked in a dungeon."

But I was confused for another reason. "Sorry, I'm just wondering who that might be," I said.

Mendanbar sighed. "If it's who I think it is, he deserves it. Fine, you can go see him."

"I'm afraid that may not be possible, Your Majesty. He's under very heavy guard. They will not let visitors in."

"I'll go," Mother volunteered.

"No, Cimorene," Father said sharply. "He's not who you think he is. He's very dangerous."

"Well, I have a way to put him in his place, I think, and I'll let the guards know that."

"Even so, I don't want you to go alone. Daystar, go with her. Make sure to stop any magic he may conjure."

"Yes, Father."

"I think it might also be a good idea to get whatever information we can from the source," Mother added. "In the morning, I'll use the magic mirror to call Regina."

"I don't think that will get us anywhere, Dear Heart, but it's worth a try," Father nodded. "Alright, any other suggestions?" Everyone looked as uncertain as ever. "Very well, dismissed!"

Everyone scattered, but Telemain lingered for a moment. He approached Mendanbar and said bashfully, "Your Majesty, I apologize if I seemed out of sorts this evening. Lately I've been feeling, for lack of a better word, unsatisfactory."

"Nonsense, Telemain!" Father replied putting his arm around Telemain's shoulders. "You are the most skilled magician I have ever met. I have always been impressed by your intellect, even if you are a bit stuffy at times. I would never imagine having another magician in my courts."

"I thank you, Your Majesty, but I was referring to matters that do not involve magic."

Father and I knew what that meant. Since we came back from Hogwarts, Telemain and Morwen have been trying to start a family. "So, you still haven't—?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, my friend."

Telemain was trying to hold back tears. "It's fine. Morwen's just been taking care of her cats. They're her children, you know. I was starting to look up magical methods to aid our predicament. I could fashion a puppet out of an enchanted tree, but I've never been much of an artist, and it's my understanding that for a long time such a boy is unruly and disobedient. I thought about burying all our wishes for a perfect child in Morwen's garden, but that solution is only temporary. Lately I've been searching for a spell that might turn one of Morwen's kittens into a child, but with this curse coming—"

"Don't give up, no matter what you do. Just keep trying. If all else fails, remember Merlin's first theorem."

"Oh, Merlin's first theorem! I had forgotten. Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed and rejoined his wife.

I came up to him and asked, "What's that, Merlin's first theorem?"

"Merlin was the first recognized magician. Remember how Morwen mentioned economics earlier? Well, Merlin is often called—"

"I know who Merlin is! I just am more familiar with his mythic depiction than his technical one. I never heard of his first theorem."

"You probably heard of it. You just didn't know it."

"Well, what is it?"

Father smiled and answered for him. "Love conquers all."

Everyone gathered back at the castle in the morning. Morwen showed Father a picture of the tree she talked about. "See this bark pattern? It's very recognizable," she said.

"Yes, I recognize it," he answered. "These trees are rare. The Enchanted Forest might grow two of these a year, and they usually get cut down by people who know their magic properties. I don't think that's a kind of tree my sword could produce. I think we might have a full day ahead of us."

"We'll find one, I'm sure."

"I have a rather full day as well," Telemain said. "I'm going to scour over Morwen's library for anything having to do with curses. Now, my contact usually charges a price for information, but he knows that I'm a magician, so he usually asks for ingredients for spells. Occasionally, he requests magic maintenance, which I may provide if and when he is freed. Therefore, I suggest you take this." He handed me his multi-pocketed vest. "If he asks for something in return, you need only ask what it is, and you can find what he request in the pockets. It's the same spell as on Morwen's door or in her sleeves. It just requires proper concentration."

"OK, great," I nodded. "Now, I don't know where we're going, so I can't . . ."

"Well, the dungeon was constructed by the dwarves, so I would suggest going through their tunnels in the Caves of Chance."

I didn't like hearing that since last time he was in the Caves of Chance I was nearly killed by a jelly-like creature called a quozzel, but I nodded politely. I wished everyone goodbye before they all disappeared, then I went to join Mother in the study. She had just finished pinning up her hair in two braids on top of her head, and she placed a crown in the center, made sure it was straight, and then she cleared her voice and said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I would like to make a call."

The mirror in front of her went milky-white and a soft, pleasant voice said, "What party are you calling, please?"

"Queen Regina."

"One moment, please." The mirror stayed cloudy for about two minutes.

"What's taking it so long?" I asked.

"Remember, son, patience is a virtue."

"Maybe you should've said the name of the kingdom."

"Well, it escapes me right now. I know she _has _a mirror. She's gotta answer it sometime."

Right around then, a woman in a black leather dress appeared in the reflection. She also had long black hair pulled up into a ponytail on her head. In fact, I was amazed how much Regina looked like Mother. "Cimorene! What a pleasant surprise!" Regina smiled, but it was an entirely sincere smile, and I wondered if she really thought this was pleasant.

"Good morning, Regina."

"And who's that with you?"

"My son, Daystar."

"Oh my, how he's grown! And a looker. Quite the heartbreaker already, aren't you Daystar?"

Mother chuckled a little just to be polite but also to keep the conversation on track. "Regina, I have to say, when Morwen and I were at your stepdaughter's wedding, we were actually impressed with your . . . performance. You know, it's usually more traditional for a wicked fairy to pronounce a curse at the christening of the first child, not at the wedding."

Regina actually laughed and nodded. "I thought you'd appreciate that. I'm frankly surprised it doesn't happen so often. I've never been a patient person. Most people who are wicked aren't."

"I suppose that's true. But my friends and I are somewhat concerned regarding this curse."

"Well, of course you are. That's understandable. However, I'm sure you'd understand that I can't tell you everything. That would put you at an advantage."

"Right, of course. It's just that one of my friends is a magician. He's studied magic all his life, and the thought of going to a world without magic is very perplexing to him."

"Well, he doesn't need to worry. When he is taken to this new world, he will remember nothing of his life here. He will have a new life with new worries, new troubles."

"But what kind of life would he have?"

"Now that, I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

Regina just leaned back and smiled.

"You don't know."

Regina sighed. "Fine. I don't have complete control over everything. Some aspects of the curse are random. All I can say is he'll only know about his new life."

"Well, that's helpful."

"You don't seem very worried, Cimorene. You're not looking into a way to break my curse, are you?"

"Oh, I'd be lying if I said we're not doing research of our own, but I honestly think it would be futile. It's going to happen, like it or not. We just want to be prepared."

"That's good. Well, try to get as prepared as you can."

"And I do have a concern of my own. What is going to happen to all the creatures who grow their own, natural magic?"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Like dragons?"

"Yes."

"Well, they'll have no place in this world."

"Oh come on!" I blurted out. "A world without magic is bad enough, but a world without dragons? That's just nuts!"

Regina smiled coldly at my outburst. "I might keep one or two well-concealed. Of course, you won't know that they exist."

"Oh yes I would! I'd feel them!"

"Don't be so sure, boy."

"Daystar, please control yourself," Mother ordered. "One last thing, if I may ask you, Regina. I don't really understand why this curse must affect everyone. Why must we all pay for one innocent mistake?"

Regina didn't answer right away, but after a brief pause she cruelly chuckled.

"What is it?"

"I just find it interesting that you would wonder this, Cimorene. It's not the first time it's happened."

Mother looked confused and a little hurt. "Have I wronged you, Regina?"

"Oh no, Cimorene, not me. Someone I believe you know. But at any rate, the answer is simple. This is my happily ever after. The cold, hard truth is that no one, not even you, is going to keep me from it. Magic always comes at a price. That's why you have to pay."

Mother obviously did not like that phrase and opened her mouth to reply when a hoarse voice interrupted her. "One more thing, Your Majesty, how do you feel about dancing?" The wooden gargoyle was trying to stick its head into the picture.

"No, stop it!" she said trying to push his face out of the way.

"But there's still time!" the gargoyle replied through bared teeth.

Mother laughed nervously. "Ignore him, Regina, please."

"Done," Regina answered. "It was nice talking with you, Cimorene." Her face faded from the mirror's reflection. Mother continued to struggle with the gargoyle, and she eventually needed my help to end it. We teleported out of the study.

"Who do you think Queen Regina meant?" I asked.

"I might have an idea," Mother answered. "It doesn't make things much easier. Well, let's go find Telemain's contact."

We went outside the castle and found the way to the passages of the Caves of Chance. "Mother, if I may ask, how did you know Queen Regina?" Daystar asked as they walked down the passages in the Caves of Chance.

"Well, we only met once. She came to our house. Truth be told, she knows me better than I know her."

I remembered that we entertained many guests headed for the Enchanted Forest, but I never remembered Regina. "Why did she come?"

Mother didn't answer. "Daystar, why were you so upset when Regina said the dragons can't come?"

"I guess I was just thinking about Shiara," I answered. "What's going to happen to her?"

She shook her head. "I really don't know, Daystar. She's a firewitch. She makes her own magic. Taking her out of this world would starve her to death, just like it would the dragons."

"Or maybe she'll just become an ordinary person, not a firewitch. But if she's with the dragons . . ."

"I really don't know. I'm sure they'll protect her. Dragon magic is very strong."

"Hello?" a voice called at the other end of the passage. "Who goes there?"

I sighed in relief. It didn't sound like a quozzel. "Prince Daystar and Queen Cimorene, sir," I answered.

We saw lantern light moving more closely to us, and a sandy-haired gentleman a little older than me approached. "Daystar? It's been a long time."

"Hello, James! Mother, this is Prince James. We met on my first Enchanted Forest adventure." Shiara and I found a princess, who turned out to be Snow White, in the middle of the Enchanted Forest. Prince James came to rescue here and had a tourney with a dragon. It's another lengthy story.

"Oh, yes, we've met," Mother said. "This is the young man who just got married."

"Wait, it's you? Wow, I didn't realize. Everyone said it was someone called Charming."

"Yeah, that's a nickname Snow gave me, and it kinda stuck," James answered.

"Well, I hope that doesn't happen to me. You should hear some of the nickname's Shiara's given me." We all chuckled. "So these are your tunnels now?"

"Oh, I'm just taking the next shift. Snow and I are guarding a prisoner here, and we don't want people to get too close."

"Actually, that's who we came to see," Mother said.

"I'm afraid I can't allow that. He's the most dangerous being in the whole realm."

"What, more dangerous than a dragon? Relax, we have a few tricks up our sleeve."

"Do you have your sword, Daystar?"

I shook my head. "No, but I don't need it anymore."

"Alright, you may go, but it's at your own risk. Good luck."

We followed the passage to the very end where we found a cell, and in that cell was a strange little man with wavy hair, big dark eyes, terrible teeth, and gold sickly-looking skin. I recognized him right away. "YOU!"

So did Mother. "Herman?" (Don't ask me why she called him that; I don't know to this day.)

The little man turned to us and glared. "That is not my name," he said in an unpleasant voice.

"That's not what you told me."

"Different time, different man." He grinned and came closer to the bars. "But I must say, dearie, I have you to thank for who I am." He grabbed the bars and looked straight into her face. "Or perhaps I should say, I have you to _blame_." He grinned even bigger and added a high-pitched giggle that set my teeth on edge.

Mother didn't flinch. "I see you've settled on a term of endearment."

"Oh yes. It has worked very well for me, just the way you said it would. It disarms people, makes them think I'm on their side. Then they do what I want."

"That's not what I—"

"And you!" The little man turned to me. "How did you like the little present I left for you?"

I glared at him. "You tried to kill me." When I saw him, I thought he was an elf. He took credit for making a wizard's staff explode and offered for Shiara and me to take it, but the fragments of the staff nearly blew me up.

"Oh, no, no, no." The man giggled again, then he reached his hand out and stroked a finger against my cheek, and a shiver ran down my spine. "If I really wanted to kill you, dearie, you'd be dead. But the two of you didn't come here to relive the past."

"We want more information about the curse," Mother said.

"Oh, I already said what I was going to say."

"Yes, we know about it and what's going to stop it, but we want to know more about the nature. What can we expect in this new world?"

"Ah, but you know I don't give such information away. What is it you once told me? 'It takes magic to make magic'?"

"How about this? In return for your information, I will promise you that you will not be eaten by a dragon."

"Oh, but I can get my hands on dragonsbane easilly."

"I know a spell that can melt wizards. I'd be very interested to see how it works on you."

"But I'm not a wizard, and I know just as well as you do that your little spell isn't permanent."

"You know, a friend of mine once told me that the first thing you did as the Dark One was end a war, but then my husband told me that you started one. How would you like for me to get that information out?"

The little man's silly grin disappeared, and his voice became colder. "Do you honestly think I have forgotten? All this time, do you really think I have forgiven you? Do you realize what you had taken from me? No, I have played nice with you far too long! Now it's time for you to answer for what you've done."

"So, Regina was right. So all of this, _all _of this, is because of a broken window?"

The little man shook his head. "You and your husband, you are _far _too petty."

I had enough of this. "Look, whoever you are, we come on behalf of the magician Telemain, and he said if you wish you may take any rare item you need for a spell from his stores." I held up the vest.

"Ah, the magician. The little dearie doesn't know when to give up. There is something I've had my mind on. Let me see the vest."

"What is the item?"

"Oh, you'll never get it right. Just give it to me." I reluctantly handed over the vest, but I kept my hand on some loose threads of magic. The little man sensed it. "Let go."

"No. I don't want to risk you taking it. It's borrowed after all."

"Very well." The little man opened a pocket and pulled out a bottle of ink. He held it to the light, looked it over, and giggled again. "Yes, this will do." He also pulled out some parchment and a quill, then shoved the vest back to me. "Oh, the nature of the curse. Well, you certainly can't expect another life in the palace."

"Well, of course!" Mother yelled. "We know we're going to start all over. The question is as what?"

"I don't think that should be so much a concern for you, dearie. You see, this land is not only a land without magic. It's a land without happily ever afters. You'll have a lot more to be bothered about." He turned to me. "You, for instance. You have a sweetheart! Oh, I remember, slender girl, red hair, but a rather rude disposition. Dearie, you could do better."

"She's not my sweetheart. She's just my friend," I said flatly.

"Don't lie to me, dearie. You cannot hide the mark of love upon you. But that's beside the point, because no matter who she is, you may never see her again. And even if you do, you won't know who she is."

"Well, we can meet and become friends again. Maybe it would be better this time. Maybe she'd be nicer."

"Yes, or maybe you'll find she's in love with someone else."

"If we're destined for each other—"

"Destiny? Ha! Destiny has no place in this world. It's a world of free will!"

I sighed. "The more I hear about this world, the less I believe in it. How can there be a world without magic? We went to another world, and it had magic! All the portals I've heard of led to worlds with magic!"

The little man looked deeply into my eyes. "You better watch your tongue, dearie. You'll get so used to living without magic. And then you'll start to feel empty, and you'll wonder why, and you'll never know. You'll find yourself trapped forever. That's what living without a happilly ever after is like."

"Let's go, Mother," I said. "I think he's told us all he's going to say."

"I agree," she nodded. "Thank you, Herman, and farewell."

As we turned away, I heard the man giggle again and cringed. Then the man laughed louder and harder as they walked away, and then he said something that made my blood go cold. "JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER!"

I couldn't take it anymore, chance or no. I yanked the nearest bit of magic I could find and thought of the throne room. Luckilly it worked. In the next instance we were home. "Daystar, you know how risky doing things like that in the Caves of Chance is!" Mother scolded.

"I know, but I couldn't be around that guy anymore, whoever he is."

"Well, that's what he wanted."

"He was creeping me out!"

"Oh, your father felt the same way when we met him."

"Yeah, how did you know him? And why do you keep calling him Herman?"

Mother opened her mouth to reply, but then we heard a shout. "YOUR MAJESTY! YOUR MAJESTY!" Telemain ran into the room waving a book above his head. I couldn't believe it; the magician was smiling! He calmed down and bowed in between breaths. "Oh. Queen Cimorene, Prince Daystar. Where's your father?"

"Still out with Morwen, I guess."

"Did you find something, Telemain?" Mother asked.

"Yes, I think we can stop it! See, here." He opened the book and pointed to a page. "According to this, the curse has a major flaw that we may be able to counteract."

"How? And please, try to keep it simple. You know we aren't as technically minded as you or Mendanbar and Morwen."

"Right. I think this will actually be easy to explain. You see, from all I heard of this curse, it is based almost entirely on intense emotions, in this sense rage, revenge, and hate. Granted, they do make the magic very powerfull and effective. Most magicians would not be able to resist it. However, if the curse is matched with a spell that is strong enough based on equally intense emotions such as kindness, unity, and love, the effects may be offset."

"So, we might be able to stop it?" I asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, Daystar, I think the chances of that are greatly unlikely. It is much more probable that the curse's effects may be ameliorated. We may retain at least some of our memories or our familial units and our friendships. However, the chance is still there."

"That's excellent!" Mother said. "Well, you work out all the details with Mendanbar, and I'll call Snow's kingdom to tell her we found an answer."

"No, I wouldn't do that, Your Majesty," Telemain answered. "Remember, the magic must be strong enough. I know their love is strong, but I am not as confident in their magic ability. You, however, have all the power of the Enchanted Forest at your disposal and not just one but two people who can wield it. Also, if all the dragons of the Mountains of Morning unite and conjure their strongest spells, they can also perhaps combat the curse."

"Wait, you just want us to protect ourselves and leave the others to take their chances?"

"It may not be so bleak. I am not sure how far-reaching our efforts may go. After all, in the miniscule chance that the magic is strong enough, you might be able to save the Enchanted Forest."

We all got a lot cockier after hearing Telemain's news, even though our hope was small. Father and Morwen found one enchanted tree like the kind Morwen described, and they sent it with the Blue Fairy who was getting someone to craft it into a wardrobe. I forgot about the little man and all that he said. Sometimes I thought about going to the Mountains of Morning to visit Shiara, but then I found something else to do. Days passed by, and nothing happened. We even started to forget about the curse.

Then one sunny day in the morning, I was looking for Father to invite him to breakfast. He found him standing on a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. "Father, come on, pancakes! The syrup's gonna get cold."

But he didn't move. "It's coming," he whispered.

"What?"

"I feel it. Can't you feel it, Daystar?"

I stood by him, and I could feel a coldness in the sunny breeze. It felt like the calm befor a storm. I got goose bumps, and I realized what the forest was telling me. Then, in the distance, I saw a black cloud in the sky coming right toward us. "Oh no!"

Father turned to me. "Quickly, tell your mother to call Kazul, Telemain, and Morwen, and meet me in the courtyard. I'll get the sword." He pushed me aside and ran for the armory.

It wasn't even an hour later before condition got much worse. The wind was strong, uprooting trees and breaking windows. The skies became darker and darker. I did as I was told, and Mother called all our friends. Then, we appeared in the main courtyard. Father was already there, the Sword of the Enchanted Forest in his hand. That's the sword that's connected to the entire forest that recognized both my father and I as rulers of the kingdom and awoke our power. It has a magic that to this day remain a mystery.

"Come on, we don't have a moment to lose!" Father said. He stepped onto the bright green moss and stabbed the blade into the earth. He knelt and pushed the blade down as far as it would go. "Daystar, put you hands on the hilt. Cimorene, get behind us." I did as instructed and choked back a sob. "I know, Son, I'm worried about them too," Father said as though he was replying to my thoughts, "but we must keep our minds clear. Think of the Enchanted Forest with all your might." Father closed his eyes, bowed his head, and began whispering. I couldn't hear everything he said, but it mostly sounded like he was saying, "Please protect us, _please_" over and over.

Mother put her hands on our shoulders, closed her eyes, and said repeatedly, "Power of fire, wind, and earth, turn the spell back to its birth." That's the draconian couplet of the fireproofing spell she learned. She could modify it to do just about any spell.

I tried. For a while, I closed my eyes and said my own prayers silently, and I could feel the power of the Enchanted Forest swell around me. It was a strange feeling, like warm and cold at the same time, but it gave me a reassurance, like everything is going to be OK. Yet then I opened my eyes and looked east. The skies were so dark, I couldn't see the Mountains of Morning anymore. And all at once, I could hear the little man's irritating voice in my ear. "You have a sweetheart. You may never see her again."

I got up and broke in a run.

"DAYSTAR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Father yelled. "COME BACK HERE!"

"DAYSTAR, WE HAVE TO BE TOGETHER!" Mother shouted.

But I couldn't stop. "SHIARA! SHIARA!"

"SHE'S GONNA BE OK! THE DRAGONS ARE WITH HER; THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING!"

But I didn't know that. She wasn't a dragon, and if they were OK, why did the mountains disappear? I kept running until he tripped, and then I got back on my knees and wept. Everything was getting darker. It was too late. The last thing I remembered of my home was feeling my parents hands on my shoulders trying to pull me back, but I was still reaching out screaming, "SHIARA! SHIAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"


	2. Luke Reed, Meeting Emma

Chapter 2: Luke Reed, Meeting Emma

So it went to twenty-eight years trying to figure out geometry, basic physics, and _Beowulf_. Every day, another tardy slip, another fight in the cafeteria, another F on my history test, another lecture from my dad. See, in Storybrooke, I was a high school senior, but I never got to graduate. And I never got a prom. But then again, I wouldn't go to prom anyway, because my dad (and yeah, here he was my dad, because if you hadn't guessed, I wasn't nearly as polite) was a preacher in Storybrooke, and he and Mom believed that dancing's a sin. But worst of all, even though I was a senior, I was constantly bullied. Maybe it was because of my lackluster grades or because I was a preacher's boy or for some reason my peers thought I privileged. So, yeah, definitely not the best years of my life.

And it was just like Herman, or whoever he was, said—I always felt empty, and I never understood why, and I couldn't find _anything _to fill that void. I always blamed him for that. I guess I could blame myself. I'm the one who interrupted Mother and Father's spell that might have saved us all. But now that I can remember that moment, I look back on it and decided that he cursed me.

I guess the best part of that time was when I was in a garage band. Lead guitar and chief songwriter, just a way to get the angst out. With me was Ally, lead singer and bass player, and Pete on drums, who wanted to play bass but kept having problems with his shoulder. I didn't know them in the Enchanted Forest. Actually, Mother knew them better. She told me later Ally was a dragon's princess named Alianora. She never learned Pete's real name, but she knew it was a prince who fell for a curse and was turned into a living statue. A dragon bit his shoulder and chipped it.

Anyway, we practiced every day, but it seemed like there was always one song we could never get right. And it was a pity because I felt like it was the best song I had ever written. We weren't really all that good, but it was cathartic. It made us feel better. I think we only had one fan—Henry. He'd come by and listen to us practice every day after school, and he was always smiling, always saying we were good. His mother didn't like it, which I think made Henry like us even more. So we kinda considered him our unofficial mascot, you know, because he daily stood up against "the man," or as we put it, Reeg.

Henry kept urging us to do something more with the band, get out there, make something of ourselves. We kept saying we weren't interested, but I think we were secretly. I know I was. I wanted to get out of Storybrooke so bad because I knew whatever I lacked wasn't here. Finally, he showed us a flyer for a Battle of the Bands in Portland. We signed up, and we were all ready to go. Then, I had this big fight with Pete and Ally. I don't even remember what it was about now, but it was so bad that they left without me, saying they'll find a lead guitarist down there.

It was a rainy day. Pete was speeding. Just outside the town limits, he lost control of the car and hit a tree. Neither he nor Ally was wearing their seatbelts. They were thrown from the car and killed instantly. Somehow, Henry blamed himself. Everybody told him it was just all the elements of the weather and reckless driving coming together, but he was never convinced. He kept saying, "This is my fault. I should've never made you leave town."

Of course, it was even worse for me, thinking the last thing I ever did with my friends was fight. I even ran out of the funeral to be alone and sat on a bench. It was still raining, and as I buried my head in my hands I just felt it fall on me. Then, very suddenly, it stopped. I looked up and saw someone next to me holding an umbrella over my head. It was a man I recognized (how could I not, he's pretty much everywhere). He wore all black, carried a cane, had blonde shoulder-length hair, and very large brown eyes. Despite all the times I've seen him, this was the first time I've ever remembered him acknowledging my presence.

"My condolences," he said softly and solemnly, yet there was still a bit of a mischievous smile on his face. I didn't like it.

This is how I let him know. "Whatever, dude."

He still played nice. "It's Luke, isn't it? Luke Reed?"

"Yeah. And you're Herman, right?"

He sighed and looked away. "If that's what you want to call me, I suppose there's no stopping you." Now, he was annoyed. Jackpot! He sat down next to me. "So, these two were members of your band?"

"Yeah. We were going to Battle of the Bands in Portland."

"Well, why didn't you go, Luke?"

"I wanted to, probably worse than both of them. There's nothing more I want than to shake the dust of Storybrooke off my feet. But we had a fight, and they left me behind. I guess, 'There for the grace of God go I.'"

"Reed!" I looked up and saw Reeg scowling at both of us. "What are you doing out here? Your mother is looking for you."

"Get lost, Reeg."

Herman looked at me in shock. "That's no way to address Madame Mayor."

"What your problem? I didn't cuss her." Whatever happened to not stopping me?

He looked her straight in the eyes and said, "We're just talking, Regina. We won't be long." Then he said slowly and sternly, "Leave us alone, _please._" Reeg had a look on her face that strongly suggested that she didn't like this, but she left. Then he looked back at me with that same smirk. "You see, it pays to be polite."

"Yeah, thanks for the lesson, Herman." I started to get up to go.

"Where did you say that they were going?"

"Portland. You know, biggest city in Maine? Haven't you ever been?"

He shook his head. "Never left Storybrooke. Come to think of it, I can't think of anyone who's ever left Storybrooke. Can you?"

"Well, Ruby went to Boston once."

He shook his head. "She had to come back when Granny had that heart attack, remember?"

"Then, what about Reeg? Surely she's gone to meet with other mayors, the governor."

"If she has, I don't know about it. In fact, I've just been thinking about it. Not only has no one left Storybrooke, no outsiders have come to visit. Causes one to think that Storybrooke is all there is, doesn't it?"

"No, that's not true. My old man says all the time that there's," (I did my best impression of him) "'something better out there.'"

"Why don't you get him to prove it? Go to the city limits, and just see if you can cross."

"'Cause I know what he'll say. It's not a matter of proof; it's a matter of faith."

He got to his feet. "Just think of this—if you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat." Then with a nod, he left.

I kept thinking about what he said, and I realized that he was right. And I started to realize how similar every day is. It almost felt like _Groundhog Day. _The same thing went wrong every day, and I just felt like I was trapped in a hamster wheel. I guess that's how I woke up to the curse. But it didn't come together until the night after, Sunday night. It was still raining; it fact, the weather had gotten so much worse. Again, I was listening to Dad's same ole sermon, "God has promised to those who believe in Him something more, something better. We have that hope, but to claim it, we must do as He asks. Believe in His name, repent of your sins, confess your belief before the congregation, and be baptized to wash your sins away. If you have not done that or if you need to come back to the Lord, please come while we stand and sing."

I've been through all the steps of salvation before. I don't really remember when, but I'm pretty sure I did. I mean, I'm the preacher's son; I had to set an example. But as everybody stood and J. Rowling led us in a song called (I'm not making this up) "Tomorrow May Be Too Late," I made my way to the aisle. I think I took a few steps. I didn't have far to go; we sit in the front row, after all. I didn't actually want to come forward, so I just stood there and stared at my dad who stood up front with his arms outstretched like he wanted to give me a hug. Eventually, everyone stopped singing and just stared at me. I could hear some of them whispering asking why the preacher's son had to confess. Then, all at once, I turned on my heel and ran out of the building.

I kept running until I ran out of breath and got a cramp (didn't take long). I dropped to one knee, caught my breath, and silently asked myself if I could really do this. Then I looked up, and in the distance I saw Herman standing in the distance. He was watching me from the forest and reaching out his hand, beckoning me on. I immediately remembered what this was all about and got up and ran again.

It was so cold with all the rain, and I was already soaked with rain by the time he got to the city limits sign. Then I heard Dad calling for me. "Lucas, what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Getting out of the boat!" I called back.

"What?!"

"You keep preaching about another world, a better world, so why don't you prove it?" the boy answered. "Don't you know nobody leaves and nobody visits Storybrooke? If you want people to believe you, you should take them here! Step over the line! Show them there's a world beyond Storybrooke."

"I understand, but now's not the time for that, Son. Come home. Let's wait for better weather."

"Didn't you hear the song J. picked out? 'Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late!'" Then I ran past the sign.

I heard Dad and then Mom chasing me and calling my name, but I didn't stop. I wanted to go as far as I could go out of Storybrooke. I didn't even care that the storm was getting worse. The thunder was getting closer, the rain was getting harder, even the clouds were more menacing. It didn't matter, as long as I got out.

Then I heard Mom call my name again. She said something else, but I couldn't hear it, probably something like "Get back here!" I felt her hand grab my arm and tighten as she started to pull me back. And then—

It's hard to describe. Everything was very white and very, very hot. The next thing I remember, I was in a bed in the hospital. "He's coming to!" Dr. Whale announced. "Incredible!" I was alive. I was struck by lightning, and I was alive. In fact, all I had in damage was a long, jagged scar running down my right arm. I couldn't explain it any more than anyone else could. Mom was in even better shape than me. I heard she was discharged the same night, and she didn't have a scratch on her. But as for Dad—

"Dr. Whale says he needs to stay in the hospital a little while longer," Mom told me.

"Is it that bad? When's he getting out?"

"I don't know. He didn't say."

So I never tried to leave Storybrooke again, but everything went downhill. I got more depressed, more irritated. I started fighting back when people were picking on me, and before long I was bully instead of the bullied. And I made a lot of bad choices that I don't want to get into. I just can't believe how far I went. Like just this morning, I was looking in the mirror at my pierced lower lip, and I said, "What was I thinking?" Mom, in the other room, answered back, "You weren't, Sweetie." I scoffed and replied, "Thanks a lot, Mom," but she was right. No way I would've done something like this as Daystar. People even started calling me the Holy Terror of Storybrooke. I didn't care at the time. Now, I don't blame them.

And then, I met an outsider—Emma Swan.

I heard the whispers for months—she came from Boston, she was Henry's real mother. I didn't come face-to-face with her until just after Sheriff Graham deputized her. I met her at Granny's. I stopped by to flirt with Ruby, but in order to do that I had to buy something, so I ordered milk and a piece of gingerbread to go. There was an uncomfortable silence in the room and everyone stared at me like a Western movie villain. It's been like that ever since my change in reputation, everybody just stares at me like I was about to blow up.

As I took the order, I passed by a booth where the sheriff and the outsider were drinking coffee. I stopped and looked at her. "You're the stranger, huh?"

Sheriff Graham answered for her. "Yes, Luke, she is indeed living, breathing proof that there is a world beyond Storybrooke."

I looked at him defiantly. "So, you're saying my old man was right? Because as I recall, Sheriff, you said—"

"That doesn't matter. Look, are you keeping your nose clean?"

"What do you think?" Obviously, since I changed, the sheriff and I didn't get along too well. I took a sip out of his milk and stared at Emma. "See you around, stranger." And I left. I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to meet her, so I did something even I thought was stupid. I broke into Reeg's house. Obviously, she caught me, and the sheriff arrested me. Just as he was locking me up in the cell at the station, Emma came in. I leaned back with my hands behind my head and tried to look tough

"Told ya," Graham said. "Regina called in a burglary about ten minutes ago, and look who's behind it. Though I have to say, Luke, this is not like you."

"Technically, it's not a burglary," I answered.

"Oh, really?" Regina answered. She picked up an evidence bag holding a flat cooking pan and held it up to my face. "So you just broke into my house to _borrow _my crepe pan? What's the matter, Reed, have the munchies?"

"It's not yours. My mother paid for it with her own money. I was just taking back what's hers."

"It was a gift! She gave it to me years ago when I became mayor!"

I scoffed and turned away. "If you say so, Reeg."

"It's Madame Mayor!" Graham snapped. "Show some respect, kid."

"Why must you go around trying to make trouble?" Regina asked exasperated.

"Would you guys give him a break?" Emma said. "Teens will be teens."

Regina approached her fiercely. "I don't care much for that attitude, Miss Swan. I don't want this boy near my son. He's a bad influence on Henry."

"Well, I think I should make that decision because he's _my _son!"

"Documents say differently."

"Speaking of documents, we need to fill out some papers for the situation at hand, Madame Mayor," Graham spoke up. Regina shot Emma a "this isn't over" look and left with him. Emma sighed and sat down.

"Maybe you should just cut him in two," I said nonchalantly. Emma looked at me. "Henry? Just cut him in half, and you'll both have a son."

"Yeah, thanks, Solomon, but I think that'll just get me locked up for murder."

"Yeah, I was just kidding. Henry's a cool kid."

She looked at me, maybe a little surprised, and I gave her a small grin. "Thanks," she said with a smile.

"So," I yawned, "what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"You're from Boston, aren't you? What's it like?"

She came closer to the cell. "What, haven't you been?"

I shook my head. "Never left Storybrooke. I mean, I may have been born someplace else, but it's not like I remember something like that."

She looked away, and then she did something I didn't expect her to do. She laughed.

"What?"

"Just thinking about my son." Then she looked at me and said, "Where'd you get that?"

"Get what?"

"That big scar on your arm."

I looked at it for a moment and grinned. "Oh yeah, that. Pretty awesome, huh? I was thinking about getting a long dragon tattoo down that arm. Think that would be cool?"

Emma laughed. "A dragon?"

"Why, what's wrong with that?"

"I think you'd probably be rethinking that when you turn 50."

"I don't know. I like dragons, always have. Nobody would dare mess with 'em."

We talked for a long time about her old life. I kept trying to ask her questions. I tried to hide my enthusiasm (wasn't doing very good) and to keep my distance and act cool. I didn't offer her much in return about my personal life, except at one point when I asked her if she really lived with Mary Margaret, and when Emma said yes, I whispered, "She is so hot!" I don't think appreciate that.

And then there was one point when Graham was taking a call. I shushed Emma and stared at the sheriff. I stood when Graham hung up, but the sheriff said, "No, Luke, that wasn't your mother."

I sat back down and said under his breath, "Argelfraster!" (That really was a word we used in the Enchanted Forest; it was a charm to melt evil wizards. Of course, I didn't know that, but somehow we still remembered the word through the curse.)

Emma laughed. "What kind of curse word is that?"

"The kind that's not one. It's a silly idea my parents came up with. It's a magic word."

"A magic word?"

"Yeah. See, a curse word is something you say when you're frustrated, but it accomplishes nothing except get you more frustrated. A magic word is something you say when you hope a bad situation will get better."

"Does it work?"

"Worked more for them, but it kinda stuck to me nonetheless."

Then she left to pick up Henry and was gone for most of the afternoon. She came back that evening. I think I was playing Cat's Cradle with strands of my hair, because I had nothing better to do. "Hey," she said.

"Hey yourself," I grunted without looking up.

She sat next to the cell. "Can I talk to you for a little bit?"

"If you're here to head-shrink me, Doc Hopper already took a whack at it a long time ago. It didn't go well."

"No, I'm not good at that. I just met your mother, and we had a little chat."

"Oh, argelfraster."

"Look, if you want this situation to get better, let's just get through it. It's not gonna that bad."

"I don't believe you," I answered in a sing-songy voice.

"Well, I don't believe everyone else. I don't think you stole from Regina just to make trouble or because you're a bad kid. I think you did it so you could get to know me."

I scoffed.

"No, I'm serious! I know now that I have done what you really want to do. I've been outside of Storybrooke. I've gone places you want to go. You want to hear about it. You want me to tell you everything because you want to go there. And I know you've heard that there's something better out there, and you've said it's a lie. But I think you're lying to yourself. You really want to believe it."

I stopped playing with his hair and looked at her. "Finally. Somebody smart around here." I sat up and came closer to the door, and I told her everything. I told her about Pete and Ally, about our band, about this empty feeling, about dad's sermons, about getting struck by lightning. I didn't mention Henry because I didn't want her to think I blamed him for my friends' deaths, and I don't think I mentioned my talk with Herman. And she just listened.

"I get it. You got itchy feet. That's why you ran away, when the lightning hit you."

I looked down on the floor. "I wish it killed me." It's not that I was really suicidal, but that was just about as bad as I wanted to get out of Storybrooke.

Emma sighed, but then she got up and shut off all the security cameras. Then she sat back down and looked at me. "Listen, I'm going to tell you something, but it has to be an absolute secret. You can't tell anyone, especially Henry."

I looked up at her. "No problem."

"When I was your age, I was just like you. I had itchy feet. I had to see the world. So I stole a car. And then I met someone. He looked kinda like you, actually. We ran around all over the country, and yeah, we had fun and good times. But I wasn't ready. I wasn't even close to ready. And when I found out I wasn't ready, it was too late. I was in prison and pregnant, and that guy was gone. I seriously think you're a good kid, and I don't want that to happen to you."

"So, you don't think I should leave?"

"No! I think you should get out there. I don't think you deserve to be cooped up here in this town. I mean, sure you need to pay your debt to society for stealing from the mayor, but you need to be free. I just think you should wait until you're ready."

"But when will I be ready?"

"Well, are you still in school?"

"Yeah, about a semester left." It's always been I had about a semester left, but I didn't tell her that.

"Let's start there. Finish school, keep your nose clean, work as hard as you can on your grades, and I promise I'll take you to the best tatoo artist I know."

"You mean it?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna get out of here?"

"And we'll do whatever you want, within reason of course."

I felt like she handed the world to him. I gave Emma a genuine smile. "You're right, you know. I did this because I wanted to talk to you, but it's not just because you've been out there."

"What other reason is there?"

"I knew you were gonna be cool."

Emma smiled back at him. "Well, you can talk to me anytime. You don't have to steal from anybody, especially the mayor."

Graham came in. "Hey Swan, I'll take this shift. Go on and get some dinner. Hey, what are all the camera's doing off?"

"Oh, I was just trying some radical interrogation schemes. I think we're making some headway. I'll turn them back on while on my way out."

"Good. See you tomorrow."

"Later, dude!" I called. Emma looked at me, and I said somewhat bashfully, "I mean, thanks, ma'am."

"No problem, kid, and you can call me Emma."

So from then on, I tried to be a model student, on my best behavior—polite, reliable, punctual, honest, probably everything I should've been as a preacher's son. Everyone was impressed by my turn-around, well, maybe except for Madame Mayor, who I still called Reeg (I just couldn't break that habit, especially because of Henry's opinion of her). Emma was probably impressed the most. After Graham passed away, she let me do some little jobs for you at the sheriff's station for a little money. I feel kinda bad because I was doing it all for a tattoo that I don't even want anymore. But I guess I have her to thank for helping me become a proper prince again, perhaps even more than the curse being broken.


	3. Rumpelstiltskin, Before the Curse

Chapter 3: Rumpelstiltskin, Before the Curse

What business have I with an engineer? Quite simply, he made me a deal in the Enchanted Forest that he has yet to honor. I intend to see it through.

To understand, we must go back to the Enchanted Forest, years before the curse, just soon I became the Dark One. I had just lost my son Baelfire, and I was very depressed. The only thing that kept me going was the suggestion that the Blue Fairy made that there was a curse to take me to the other world where Bae had disappeared. But I had no idea how to make a curse. I was sure I didn't have enough power of my own to create such a spell. So I was frantically searching through books and scrolls when I heard a knock at the door.

I cracked the door open and saw a young man, somewhere in his twenties, with a black goatee and bright blue eyes. He wore unique clothes, particularly a black vest with several pockets and some rather large rings on his hands. But perhaps what struck me the most was that this stranger did not appear the least bit afraid. "Am I in the presence of the Dark One?" he said in a low voice.

I did not feel like entertaining visitors, especially visitors seeking my services. Yet this stranger struck my curiosity, so I opened the door a little wider and nodded.

The young man bowed. "Greetings, sir. My name is Telemain. I am a magician."

I let out a weak chuckle. "Cute, but I am in no mood for magic tricks." I started to close the door.

He grabbed the door with his hand and opened it again. "You misunderstand, sir. I am not an illusionist nor am I an escape artist. I am a student of real magic of many types, working toward the eventual title of mage. I have studied the history of several of the most famous enchanters and enchantresses, completed a rigorous apprenticeship under a renowned sorcerer, and now I am in the initial stages of practical application."

I grinned, thinking this may be just what I was waiting for. "Good for you. Do you know anything about curses?"

He seemed a bit startled by such a question. "No sir, that's why I've come to you."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't help you." I tried to shut the door again.

And he put his foot in the door and opened it again. "As part of my regimen, I must have at least a working knowledge of black magic. I assure you, I have no interest in indulging in the craft myself, but I am interested in at least seeing how it works. I have heard your tale, how you recently became the Dark One, how your first act was to stop the Ogre War, and I am given to understand that you are still a dedicated father to a mortal son. You seem to be a decent enough fellow, despite the fact that you are associated with a branch of magic that is commonly branded as evil. After all, so far you have used your power to noble ends. Therefore, I request permission to observe you for a couple of days. I will not be directly involved with any of your spells, though I may ask the occasional question. I do wish to be any trouble, and I will make this as brief as possible, and I will happily compensate you any way you desire."

Despite this glowing description of me and the knowledge that this man seemed to be, for lack of a better word, my fan, I didn't want to do this. I just didn't want to be disturbed. So I opened the door wider and got into the magician's face. "You want to know about magic? There is only one thing you need to know—magic _always_ comes with a price. I paid greatly, and I do not wish this price on you. You are still young. Get out while you can!" And before he could react, I shut and locked the door.

I turned back to my spinning wheel, thinking it was about time to relax, when I heard the knock again. "Dark One!" the magician called outside. I ignored him. But the knocks continued. "Dark One!" I approached the spinning wheel as was about to sit down when he heard the magician call, "Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee!"

Suddenly, I found myself outside my house. I turned around, and the magician was still there. "Now what?"

"What price did you pay?" the magician asked, confusion all over his face.

I did not want to talk about this now, especially to a stranger, but since the magician knew about my history, I thought he might as well know the price. I heaved a sigh and answered, "My son."

The magician looked shocked. "You sacrificed your son's life for the sake of a spell?"

"No! Last night, I watched him vanish to a place where I can't get to him. Why?"

"I find your pronouncement perplexing. In all my studies or interviews or interactions with people who are skilled in magic, I have never heard anyone suggest anything about a price. I have never been required to sacrifice anything for the sake of a spell, save the usual expenses—time, energy, and sometimes money to purchase rare magical items, though even then salesmen are open to barter."

"Obviously, there is much you haven't been taught."

"That is true. I am still a novice, but so are you."

"How do you know?"

"Why else would the Dark One ask me for information about curses? This is perhaps a subject of magic that merits further investigation—magic economics. Perhaps what you say is true, but perhaps there is a way around it, a loophole if you will."

"Well, if ever you find it, I'd be happy to know—"

"Very well! This I shall do. If you permit me time, I will return to my former master and anyone I know who has magical skill and ask for their opinions on the subject, learn how they mitigate this 'price.' If I have any success in finding options that may help your predicament, I will return to you and share my findings, and you in turn will become my contact with any inquiries in all matters regarding black magic. Are we in agreement?"

This sounded very promising indeed. I doubted that this young student would find anything, but there was the possibility that he could, and if he could it would be very helpful. So I nodded and shook his hand. "I wish you luck, magician."

"Thank you for your good wishes. Farewell." He then drew a circle in the air with his index finger, whispered, "Home," clapped his hands, and disappeared.

I sighed. "Glad that's over." I went to my door and groaned as I pulled the handle; I forgot it was locked.

The magician's visit had at least given me an idea. I needed to reach out to the magic community for more information about the curse the Blue Fairy spoke of. I decided to start with the Society of Wizards, since they were known for having a large library of spells. I went to the headquarters in the Brown Forest and made my request. The Head Wizard Zemenar stared at me with interest. "Very well, Dark One. You may have access to our archives to locate the spell you seek. In turn, your power will be quite beneficial for our purposes."

"Thank you. I will happily provide any service you see fit."

"Oh, we seek no service. We seek your power."

"I do not understand. The only way to take my power is to kill me. Is that what you wish to do?"

"There are other ways. Kneel."

I did as I was told. Zemenar stood and raised his staff high above his head. The staff began to glow a pale blue, and suddenly I felt a terrible pain in my chest. I screamed, but the pain would not relent. The glow grew brighter and brighter, and the pain continued to become worse. Suddenly, it stopped, and I fell on the floor, tremendously weak.

"That should do for now," Zemenar said calmly. "Antorell, take him to the reading room."

"What did you do to me?"

"Just as I said. I took some of your magic."

"You what?!"

"Oh, don't worry. Your magic is like hair; it grows back, until, of course, it doesn't. Rest as long as you desire, but remember you only have an hour."

After that, I hoped that finding the curse would be as easy as pie, but it was tremendously elusive. I found sleeping curses galore, spells that cast darkness for miles, locations for springs that turn people into animals, but very little was mentioned about another world. Now, some things I found looked rather useful. This is where I discovered the charm for spinning straw into gold. Ultimately, though, I had to admit that I needed to use the library again.

And the more I needed to use the library, the more magic the Society of Wizards would take from me. Zemenar and Antorell came by my house once a month for their wages. The process was never any less comfortable, but I tried to assure myself that it was for Bae. Sometimes innocent travelers would summon me, and the magic I used for their tasks made the wizard's seizure worse.

Then, the wizards came early.

"You're not due back for a couple weeks," I said in surprise when they knocked on my door.

"Sorry, Dark One, but we have been casting very large spells, and as a consequence, our allotment has gone up," Zemenar answered. "We will now be returning every other week."

That made things so much worse. The process was starting to make me sick. On top of that, people continued to summon me so that I was running out of my own magic. I finally decided to turn travelers away. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to perform the curse once I found it.

So when I heard the knock on my door, three days before the wizards were due to come, I shouted, "Go away!"

"Dark One, it is I, Telemain!" the voice on the other side of the door replied. "I have returned as I have promised."

"Oh, very well. Come in quickly."

It had been a year since I had seen the young magician. Not much had changed in his appearance. His beard had grown longer, and he had a few more pockets in his vest, but that was about it. I'm sure I looked different to him. "You do not look well at all. Are you experiencing backshock? I know some potions to counteract that."

I had no idea what backshock is, so I only answered, "It is none of your concern. Now, I suppose you have found something."

"That was the agreement, was it not?"

"Yes. Now, what is it?"

"I have actually discovered multiple solutions for your predicament, a couple that I believe would be simple enough to implement that have been proven to be effective."

"And they _really _make magic free?"

He nodded. "In fact, most people to whom I have told your axiom have responded that it is quite mistaken. Magic, in and of itself, is not meant to be expensive at all."

Amazed, I sat down and stared at the magician. "Tell me everything!"

"First, many people with magic abilities divide their labor with bestial aids who have enough intellect and understanding of human behavior and supernatural practices. Commonly, these aids are known as familiars."

"Isn't that more for witches?"

"Traditionally, yes, but my master used mice, bats, and an oracular pig. I'm sure anyone with any magic skill would find a familiar useful. Have you any pets?"

I shook my head. "Just the sheep."

"Sheep?" He got up and looked at the herd through the window. "Well, I've never heard of anyone making familiars out of sheep, but I suppose it's worth a try. I have no idea how intelligent sheep are, but the entire herd would certainly channel a lot of power. On the other hand, their wool would create static electricity which would certainly interfere with spells. So, perhaps, it is not such a good idea."

"I suppose I could get a sheepdog."

"Oh, no. I've heard from more than one source that dogs do not make good familiars. They're too easily distracted. The most recommended creature to make a familiar is a cat."

"A cat? Absolutely not. I'm allergic."

"But when you have magic abilities, allergies can easily be bypassed."

"Still, cats have claws. I don't want to risk it."

"Very well. There is another solution I have heard that I believe will be very useful for you. It will change your perception of magic forever."

I looked at him eagerly again. "Tell me!"

"I shall, but in this instance, it would be best if I show you." He once again traced a circle in the air with his index finger, whispered, "Home," clapped his hands, and we appeared in front of large building with every window one could imagine which covered just about every inch of the walls.

"This is your home?"

"It is."

"Are you a magician or a window salesman?"

"Windows are actually excellent objects to enchant. Water can be just as effective, but since it is so fluid, it can be difficult to work with."

"So, all of these windows are magic windows?"

"Unfortunately, most of them are failures, but there is one window that illustrates my point."

"Have you tried mirrors?"

"No, I haven't yet. That is an excellent suggestion. At any rate, this window is in the attic. Follow me. On the way, I will explain more of the principle."

There were a lot of passages and stairs to take just to get up to the attic. I wished they would just sit down and talk about it, but the magician wouldn't stop or slow down.

"You see, the principle is that of benevolence. Magic, on the whole, is based more on emotion than on intellect, and if magic is used on behalf of someone else to reward good behavior and kindness, it creates a residual effect. More magic is formed that can be used for any purpose, and if a little of that is used for benevolence, the same thing happens. In fact, when I told my master your axiom, 'Magic always comes with a price,' he very strongly maintains that it is a fallacy, a misappropriation of the true axiom."

"And what is that?"

"In his words, 'It takes magic to make magic.'"

I paused and thought. "I don't know. When I became the Dark One, that's not what I was told."

"Well, it could possibly be different with black magic. From the little understanding I have, black magic does require sacrifice, but that does not mean that you are limited to black magic. Many black wizards eventually reform when they understand this principle. Think about this, the most powerful beings with magic ability are also the most beneficent—fairy godmothers, certain types of elves, a particular mage who resides at the North Pole—"

"I don't understand. My first act as the Dark One was to stop a war! You can't get much more benevolent than that, and I never experienced any residuals!"

"You might have had some selfish motives, such as your safety and your son's safety. From what I heard, you also used the move to improve your own status in the eyes of your peers. A truly benevolent action has no such motives as its basis. That is why I wish to show you what I mean." By then, we reached the attic and approached a large, round window. The magician waved his hand in front of the window. "Show us the method in which I obtained the magic to cast this window's scrying spell."

"That's a rather long request."

"Yes, well, the spell is rather weak, and it helps to be specific. Perhaps a mirror would be more effective. Ah, here we go."

The window turned milky white for a moment, and then the glass cleared. A man with a long gray beard wearing tattered clothes hobbled over to a tree, sat and took his rest. "Who is this?" I asked.

"It is me in disguise. Disguises are often used by enchanters to perform tests on mortals. Watch."

A teenage boy with curly hair with an axe over his shoulder came into view, whistling merrily. "Dear lad," the old man croaked, "please spare a crumb of bread and a drop of water. I am so hungry and thirsty."

"Well, I have very little for lunch, only a cake of cinders and some dirty water, but I will be happy to share with a brother in need." The young man sat down next to the old man. The old man subtly waved his hand as the young man took out his lunch. The cinder cake had become a frosted cake, and the water was not dirty at all. The young man looked in amazement at his new goods, but then he split it with the old man, and they ate without a word.

"Oh come on," I complained. "For every person who shares his lunch, there's two who don't. That's how it always works. What do you do then, see to it that their arms and leg get cut off?"

"No, that's another fallacy," the magician answered. "People like that are proud and self-absorbed, and proud and self-absorbed people tend to be sloppy. They cut off their own limbs by accident, and then they blame us. Sure, I know some enchanters who use their powers to punish bad behavior, but it has no bearing on this effect."

Then the old man looked at the boy and said in a voice that was more like the magician's, "Your kindness has not gone unnoticed, my friend. Since you are willing to share what you have, you shall be rewarded. Cut down the first tree you see, and you will find a treasure in the roots that will change your life."

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you." Once the boy was out of sight, the old man took off his beard, revealing that it was indeed the magician. He took a ring out of one of his vest pockets a ring that was glowing. "Excellent!" He then used his teleportation spell and vanished. The picture then faded from the window.

"A couple more tests like this, and I had saved up enough magic for the spell and then some," he explained. "Do you understand now?"

I barely acknowledged him because I became very interested in the window and was starting to get an idea. "So, what all does this window show?"

"Anything you ask of it."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Anything? Even from another world?"

"Another world? Fascinating. See for yourself."

I came closer to the window and waved my hand. "Show me Baelfire."

The window clouded over again, and when a picture came into focus, I saw a boy with dark hair wearing a short-sleeved shirt and coarse blue pants. He was sitting on a strange stool in front of a small table writing something with a stiff quill the likes of which I had never seen before. It all looked so strange, but it didn't matter. "Oh, my little boy!" I fell to my knees and wept. I put my hand to the glass and watched until the boy faded away. Then I got up and reached into my pocket for some spools of gold. "I must pay you for this win—"

"NO!" I retracted his hand in shock at the magician's outburst. "The moment gold or silver touches my palm in relation to this spell, the window becomes useless."

"What? Why?"

"That's how benevolence works! You cannot expect to receive anything in return. Technically, you should not anticipate the residual effect."

"But I must have this window! I need to have it in my house."

"Then why don't you set up your own spell?"

"Oh, magician, my magic has been taken from me. I don't know how long it's going to be before I can do spells on my own. Please, this is the only way I can see my son before I figure out the means to go to him."

The magician looked down and stroked his beard. "I suppose I could give it to you."

I smiled. "You're going to give me your window?"

"No, the spell's delicate enough; transference will surely make it fall apart. No, I mean, I could give you the house."

Now I was stunned. "The whole house?"

"Certainly. Take good care of it, and continue to be my contact on black magic matters, and it's yours."

"Oh, I don't know, all these windows. I've been trying to stay . . . hidden lately."

"That won't be a problem. The house already is surrounded with all manner of guarding spells. Nothing unwelcome can come anywhere near here."

I didn't trust that; he was still a new magician. "How did I get in, then?"

"You're a guest. Therefore, you are welcome."

"But where will you live?"

"I'm sure I'll find a place. Nearby, there is an old woman who lives in a shoe. If you've heard about her, I believe you are familiar with her predicament. I'd be happy to help her out in exchange for room and board."

"I will not forget this, magician. Thank you."

"You are more than welcome. I hope this place will be helpful for you." The magician bowed, and then he was on his way.

For weeks, I spent most of my time in the attic watching Bae. I watched him eat, sleep, play, and do a lot of things that still seemed very foreign to me. I spent so much time up there, I almost forgot to go to the library to search for the curse. Unfortunately, I was still coming up empty on that, but it didn't seem to matter because at least he could see my boy.

One afternoon when I was up in the attic, I was suddenly alerted that someone was there. I went down all the passages and stairs, and by the time I got down there, I could hear knocking. "GO AWAY!" I shouted.

"Hello?" a young man's voice I didn't recognize answered. "Is someone there?"

Great. "WHATEVER YOU THINK I CAN DO, I CAN'T! I WON'T! AND THAT'S FINAL!"

"That's OK," a young woman's voice I didn't recognize answered. "We don't want you to. We just want—"

I opened the door and saw a young couple—a hero with a sword and a girl with incredibly long hair. Both were in very common clothes. The young man was carrying a rolled up carpet under his arm. "I know what you want. You want a chance to talk me into it. Well, you can forget it. You're in the wrong place. I'm not who you think I am. My name's . . ." (I said the first name that came to mind) "Herman."

"Pleased to meet you, Herman," the young man smiled. "My name's Mendanbar, and this is Cimorene. We're travelers, and we've just stopped to get some directions."

I looked suspiciously at them. "Directions? Is that all? What sort of directions?"

"We're trying to get to the cave where the dragon Falgorn lives," the girl answered.

Must be a rescue operation. "Oh, and you want me to fix the battle so that you emerge victorious with your companion in tow?"

"No, for your information, we have an urgent message for Kazul, the King of the Dragons, who is visiting Falgorn."

Something about this still seemed very odd, but they still seemed very innocent, and neither of them summoned me by my true name or recognized me as the Dark One. "Very well. Come in, and I'll see what I can do." I let them in and shut the door right behind them. Then I went to another room where I thought I saw a map previously.

"Interesting house," the boy said. "Why all the windows?"

"The house used to belong to a magician. He experimented on the windows."

"Strange house for a wizard," the girl said.

"Not a _wizard_, a _magician._ While we're on the subject, you're really not expecting me to do anything magical for you?"

"No thanks. I think we got the magic thing covered," the boy answered.

"I'm sorry I'm so worried. People keep coming to me for favors, and I just can't afford it."

"What do you mean?"

"Magic always comes with a price, and I'm a little in debt right now."

The boy frowned. "That doesn't sound right. I'm not familiar with there being a tax on magic. Unless," he raised his eyebrow, "it isn't black magic, is it?"

"OF COURSE IT'S BLACK MAGIC! I'M THE DAR—" I stopped myself. I didn't want the wizards to hear. So I shook my head and started over. "Look, I'm working on a very big spell, and I have to conserve my magic energy so that I can perform it when I have it ready."

"What's it for?"

"I'd really rather not talk about it with strangers like you."

"We understand," the girl said. "But you know, you can get extra magical energy if you use your magic in acts of benevolence. The court magician at my kingdom always used to say, 'It takes magic to make magic.'"

"Yes. You're not the first one to give me that advice, but I'm just not sure. Benevolence just isn't in my nature."

"Well, you can start by making it look like you're doing a favor, that you have the best interest of your party at heart."

"And how do I do that?"

"I guess a pretty easy way is to refer to the people approaching you for a favor with a term of endearment. You know, 'honey,' 'sweetie-pie,' that sort of thing."

I winced. "I don't know. That's too . . . cutesy."

"Well, you gotta be a little cutesy. It's a good way of letting the person know you're on their side, you know? But it can be more sophisticated, I guess. My fairy godmother always referred to me as 'my dear.' And in a way, it worked. I felt closer to her than I really was."

I nodded. "You know, that's not too bad advice. I think I can do that. I think I can do that! Thank you. And you know, now that I think about it, there is a way I can help you. Follow me." I took them up to the attic, smiling at myself. I just figured out a benevolent act, and maybe now I'll get residuals. I showed them the window. "This window can show you anything you desire. All you need do is ask. Just be as specific as you can. It is a very delicate spell."

"OK, great, thank you," the boy said. He cleared his throat. "Window, show us Kazul the King of the Dragons."

I stood behind them and waved his hand, activating the spell. They watched as the glass turned milky white, and a pictured formed. It worked! I could actually feel new power welling up in him. This is a success! Maybe when they are finished with the window, I could offer to fix their magic carpet. But then I looked closer at what they were seeing. It was a dragon trapped in a huge, golden bubble, and beneath her were two small men carrying staffs. I recognized them right away—Zemenar and Antorell. So, this is why they were taking more. They needed enough magic to shield a dragon. I didn't like it.

"Wizards," the girl growled as she stared at the window. "I knew it! But where are they? Window, show me where they are!" The window clouded over again, this time green. It had never done that before. "Window, hurry!" Still no response. She took a deep breath and chanted, "Power of fire, wind, and earth, cast the spell back to its birth. Raise the fire to stop the harm by the power of this charm!" There was a loud hum, and the window shattered into millions of dust-like pieces. "Oh, bother!" she grunted.

I looked at it in horror. "My window," I whispered. "You broke my window."

"I'm so sorry, Herman," she pleaded. "I didn't know it would do that, and we don't really—"

"Get out."

"It's alright, sir," the boy said. "I can fix—"

"Get out! Now!"

The couple looked at each other for a moment and didn't move. I finally shouted and chased them out. Then I grabbed their magic carpet and threw it at them. "AND DON'T COME BACK!" I slammed the door, breaking a couple of windows while doing so. Once I was behind the door, I burst into tears.

"Wow. I didn't realize how important that window was to him," I heard the girl say.

"Me neither," the boy answered. "Well, at least we know that the wizards have captured Kazul and that they're somewhere in the Enchanted Forest."

"We do?"

"I'm sure of it. I think that's why the window . . ." Their voices faded away as they walked off.

About an hour later, the magician showed up. I was still weeping in the attic. "What happened?" he asked.

I looked accusingly at him. "This is the cost of benevolence." I explained what happened as much as I could through the tears.

"That's impossible," he said. "The window is enchanted to reveal anything, anywhere, even in the Enchanted Forest. It should have complied with their request. After all, look at how easily it complied with yours."

"NEVER MIND THE SPELL! FIX IT!"

"Yes, of course, I shall. But first I must determine the exact reason why it broke in the first place."

"Well, she was saying something before it broke, something about 'fire, wind, and earth.'"

"That sounds like a draconian spell. They often call on the elements. Very strong magic, draconian, and it doesn't like mixing with other brands of magic, particularly yours."

"There you go! That's the reason."

"That's _a _reason. I still don't understand why that would make it shatter. Look, I will find the young adventurers and ask them. If I get their perspective, I may be able to figure it out more easily. I shall not be gone long." He did his teleportation spell and vanished.

The magician was gone for days. When he came back, I was furious. "What took you so long?"

"A thousand apologies, Dark One. When I learned of their quest, it was so engaging. I ended up joining them. I learned so many things in the process, and I became acquainted with an old witch friend of mine who I had not seen in years."

"Yes, that's all very nice. Now, what about my window?"

"Oh, right. I am so sorry, Dark One. I asked them how the window broke, but I never was able to determine an answer. I'm afraid I cannot fix it. If you wish, I may try to enchant another window with the same scrying spell, or perhaps I can do it on a mirror this time."

I groaned and buried my face in my hands.

"No? Well, that was only the first step. You were only using it to see your son, wherever he is. If you will give me time, I give you my word that I will do what I can to help you find him."

I shook my head. "You can't help." Then I looked up. The magician could probably find many reasons why that window broke, but to me there was only one. "Come here. I want you to witness something." I stood and pulled out the dagger with my name and held it above my head. "No matter how magic works, no matter what the true axiom is, I shall no longer be benevolent. From this day forward, I will never, ever, EVER perform a magic act for others without expecting, demanding something in return! I swear on my name, RUMPELSTILTSKIN!" I then cut my hand with the dagger, and the blood covered my name. I closed my eyes. Somehow, I felt different. The nervousness that was always in the back of my mind was entirely gone. I actually felt somewhat pleasant, giddy. Despite the pain still throbbing in my hand, I giggled.

"That is unfortunate," the magician said. "I was going to share with you what I had learned. There are two more ways to get around this 'magic always comes with a price' axiom."

I opened his eyes, looked at him, and said with a grin in a voice that didn't quite sound my own, "And just what might they be, dearie?" I was amazed at how easily that rolled off my tongue.

"I think it would be advantageous for you to move to the Enchanted Forest. Then you will be completely surrounded by magic at all times. I am actually considering moving there myself. There's an abandoned tower that will work just nicely."

"And the second?"

"The second involves the young man, Mendanbar."

"What about him?"

"He's the King of the Enchanted Forest. He has a magic sixth-sense and can access it directly. I'm sure if you get in his good graces, he could probably get you all the magic you want."

"King of the Enchanted Forest, eh?" The magician was right, that _is _a way to keep magic free. I was already hatching a plan.

Just weeks after the couple's visit, I received an invitation from Mendanbar and Cimorene's wedding. Perfect! I was able to go to the castle and take a closer look. I made sure to greet them at the reception. "Congratulations, dearies," I said as I took the bride's hands. "I knew when I saw you that you were meant for each other."

"Well, look at you!" the girl smiled. "Don't you look better with a smile?"

"Yes," the boy nodded. "So glad you could come, Herman. I thought you might still be angry with us."

"Oh, water under the bridge, dearie," I answered. "I must apologize for my outbursts. It was no way to behave to such charming guests. But by the way, you never mentioned that you were a king."

He shrugged. "You never asked, and I don't really like to bring it up. But we can fix your window easily, the spell and everything. Just say the word."

"Oh, don't worry yourself about that. I've set my mind on higher pursuits. Best of luck to the both of you, dearies."

"Thank you, Herman," the girl said. "Keep up that attitude, and I'm sure you'll be fine." I walked on and heard her say, "Isn't he adorable?"

"Maybe as adorable as a rat," the boy mumbled. "I thought he was kinda creepy."

"Honey, be nice."

I stored the comments for another day. Who cares what people think about me? I have other things to do.

The next day, there was a knock on my door. "Dark One!" It was Zemenar and Antorell.

"Looking for me, dearies?" I appeared behind them.

"Uh, yes," Antorell answered. "It's time for our payment. Assume the position." He raised his staff.

"Ah-ah-ah!" I said shaking my finger. "We're not having any of that today!" I then pointed to the staff, and it exploded.

"I'm sorry, sir," Antorell replied, obviously a little shaken but trying to sound calm. "We weren't informed that you had no further need of our archives."

"About that. I was thinking about my use of your archive. Very fine library, but it's bothered me how long it's taken to find the spell I need. You wouldn't happen to be playing keep away with me, would you?"

"Keep away?"

"You know, hiding the spell from my eyes, keeping it just out of my reach?"

Zemenar spoke. "What you requested is just difficult to find. Even we don't know much about other worlds, particular other worlds without magic."

"Very well. I can understand that. But it wouldn't be because . . . you were confining the King of the Dragons, were you?"

Antorell became defensive. "How did you know about that?" Zemenar ribbed him.

"I saw it. Oh, don't worry, dearies, it's not like I care. I mean, it did bother me that this was what all the pain I felt was for. You were draining magic from me just so you could drain magic from a much larger being."

"It needed to be done. King Kazul had to be taught a lesson for kicking us out of the Mountains of Morning." Zemenar hit Antorell's head with his staff.

"As I said, it doesn't matter. It all comes down to magic. Well, magic always comes with a price, and I'm not paying your price for it. From now on, you're paying mine."

Antorell blinked a couple times. "I don't understand. I thought we were."

But Zemenar scowled. "Do you dare set yourself against the Society of Wizards?"

"Oh no, of course not. I actually want to help you. I can get you all the power you desire, as much magic as you can ever want and to spare. But you have to do exactly as I say and give me exactly what I demand."

"What exactly do you propose?"

"How would you like control of the Enchanted Forest?"

Zemenar's eyes flashed. "You can do that? We've been having difficulties since King Mendanbar's wedding."

"Trust me, Headwizard. I know what to do."

The wizards whispered to each other for a minute, then Zemenar turned back to me. "It's a deal, Dark One." He reached out his hand to shake.

I smiled and took it. "Excellent. And now I make my first demand." With my free hand, I reached into Zemenar's chest and took out his beating heart.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. That's another story for another day. Now, here in Storybrooke, the magician's name is J. Rowling. I'm not sure what the "j" stands for, but I have heard his middle name is Harrison, like another magician. He's one of the few people that the curse just couldn't make miserable. He is happily married to a woman named Sophia who works at the animal shelter, and he's rather well-liked in town as a handyman and a song leader at a church congregation. Sometimes, I think he even has some memories of the Enchanted Forest, much like the Reeds, which is the royal family of the Enchanted Forest. From what I understand, it's because they found a way to combat the curse. The king, queen, and prince did so with magic, but the magician and his wife did so with love.

They still had their problems. The Rowlings have been trying for some time to have a child, but they had not been successful. Sophia wants to bring in a cat, but her husband is allergic. They had been talking about seeing a fertility specialist. I wonder why they have not come to me to help them adopt like I did for Regina. Since the magician made a deal with me, I was watching for him to meet with me, but I had no contact with him except when he paid his rent, until one day a few months after Emma came.

I saw him at my shop investigating the items in the window. He started to leave, but I quickly opened the door and gave him my best smile. "Mr. Rowling. I was wondering when you were ever going to stop by."

"I don't understand," he said as he walked into the shop. "Are you saying you were expecting me?"

"Well, from what I hear from everyone else in town, you're the smartest man in Storybrooke."

"People say that?"

"Sure. I'm told all the time how gifted you are as a handyman. I'm not even called for repairs as a landlord because people call you first."

"I'm not a handyman, though. I'm an engineer. Nobody else seems to understand that."

"But I do. I wouldn't have been surprised if you said you're a chemist or a physicist. We need brain power like that here in Storybrooke, or nothing will change."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, sir. I do have a lot of ideas to change this town, plans for inventions that will give Storybrooke a new perspective. I keep bringing them up to the mayor, but she keeps saying that she can't fit it in the budget."

I guess that's another way Regina is trying to make him miserable—not letting him have his dream job. I scoffed. "Budget-schmudget! I could beat her budget any day of the week."

"So, would you be willing to help me make these dreams a reality?"

"Absolutely, but in turn, would you mind doing a few things for me?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I know you say you don't like making repairs, but there are some items in this pawn shop that I think would sell better if they were renovated. Would you be up for that?"

"If that's the job, I'll do it."

"Excellent." I reached out his hand, and we shook. "I wish you luck."

He blinked a few times; I think he sensed the déjà vu. "Thank you for the good wishes."

He completed the first job I gave in in just a matter of hours. He showed me his work, and I nodded and praised him, kept him appeased. Then he held out his hand. "That'll be $100."

"Oh, I said nothing in our deal about paying you money."

He looked at me in confusion. "If I'm so valuable to you, why don't you pay me? Aren't I worth my wages?"

"Of course you are, but . . . I can't."

"Well, surely it's not that you can't afford it!"

"No. I just . . . I can't. It's complicated."

"Complicated is my middle name! Explain it to me!"

I sighed. "This is all I can say for now. The day is coming that I am going to need you to do something for me. You are the only person in town that will be able to do it. And I want to make sure that you can do it."

"That explains nothing."

"I know."

"But without money, how are we going to get my plans off the ground? And my wife, we _need _money!"

"Oh, don't worry about any of that. I will take care of it in due time. For now, I'd be willing to barter. Anything in this shop is yours. Anything you need, anything you want."

He looked over the many trinkets of the shop but shook his head. "It is a generous offer, Mr. Gold, but you don't have what I most want, or need."

"I see. Well," I went to a clothes rack and selected a vest with many pockets, the magician's vest, "I think this will suit you."

"That? I'm not sure that's my style."

"Take it. Look at all these pockets. You're about to grow out of your toolbox; this could be useful."

He took the vest and looked it over. "Strange, no tag." He rubbed it between his fingers. "What material is this?"

I took a very deep breath. How could I say it was made from a skin of a creature that doesn't exist? "A very rare and valuable one."

"Well, now I can never get it dirty."

"Don't worry about that! It's meant to be worked in. Just take it!"

He sighed and nodded. He slipped the vest on. "It fits well."

I smiled. "Fits like a glove, almost like it was made for you."

He looked at me suspiciously. He probably knew I wasn't just doing this to be nice. "Thank you. I'm going home. If you need me for anything else around the shop, just call me. I trust you have my number."

"Of course," I nodded. He was right, of course. You see, I intend to use this engineer when the curse is broken. He promised to find my son. Even though I turned him down, a deal is a deal. He's chosen the path of benevolence, and if it works for him, I'll let him use it, as long as he finds Bae. So as I watched him leave, I thought, "That's right, magician. I will give you time, and you will own your promise."


	4. Pat Reed, When the Curse was Broken

Chapter 4: Pat Reed, When the Curse was Broken

I was locked up and stored in a mental ward. My mind was broken, crippled, burned by a strike of lightning. So I'm still sorting through my memories from before Storybrooke. When I came here, I found myself to be the leader of a flock, called to be a rock, a preacher, an elder, but even that feel like so long ago. Everything feels so fragmented, and the puzzle is slowly starting to come together. This much feels clear.

When my wife was pregnant with Daystar, the Society of Wizards stole the Sword of the Enchanted Forest. With that gone, they were able to destroy large portions of the Enchanted Forest by absorbing its magic with their staves. Cimorene and our friends Morwen, Telemain, and Kazul went out toward the wizard's headquarters to search for it, but I had to stay behind in the Enchanted Forest because Telemain had made me an anchor in the absorption spell. If I left, the Forest might as well burn up. So I agreed to see them off.

"This is as far as I can take you," I said to Cimorene. "The edge of the Enchanted Forest is over there. I'll keep an eye on the border. As soon as I see you, I'll come out to meet you."

"Don't worry about us," Morwen said. "Worry about the wizards."

"Yes, I plan to do a thorough search for them as soon as you leave. If there's significant damage or I meet a lot of them, I'll make sure all the creatures of the Enchanted Forest know."

"I'll call you every night on the Magic Mirror," Cimorene said.

I sighed. "Cimorene—"

"Don't start!" she scolded. "One of us has to go, and you can't. That's what Telemain told us."

"If you weren't going alone, I'd say let the wizards have the stupid sword. It just isn't worth it."

"You'd say that, but you don't believe it, and you know it." She kissed my nose. "Don't worry, darling. I'll be alright, and our baby will be alright."

I wanted so badly to hug her one more time, but she swiftly turned around, then she disappeared with the rest of the group. I deeply sighed and tried to choke down my sadness so I could concentrate. I focused on the unseen threads of magic all around me, trying to feel any tugging or drifting. Once I felt that, I followed the thread to a group of wizards. "Argelfraster!" I said several times pointing to each one of them, and they started to melt. Some of them shot spells at me, but I did the best I could to dodge them. I kept searching for more wizards, doing the same thing. Then while I was chasing a wizard, I came to a large, barren wilderness. "Oh, crud!" I loudly shouted while leaning on the closest tree.

As I promised Cimorene, I went out to warn all the creatures of the forest. The first place I found was an underground den. The people guarding it were wary, but when I explained it was a matter of great urgency, they let me pass. When I came in, I saw a large wolf. I prepared to twist some strings of magic so that we could communicate, but then I sensed a spell, and the wolf turned into a beautiful woman.

"I see, you are the wolf people I've heard of."

"I am Anita," the woman answered coldly. "What do you want with us, human?"

"Greetings, Anita. I am Mendanbar, the King of the Enchanted Forest, and I—"

"We recognize no human king!"

"I understand, but I oversee this whole land, and it's in danger. I need your help."

"I will not guarantee we will grant your request, but what do you ask."

"I need all of you to keep an eye out for wizards. You'll recognize them by their blue and brown robes and the staves they carry. All of your subjects must gather as much water as you can, mix it with soap and a little lemon juice—"

"You want us to bathe? Do you believe we are merely human?"

"No, I'm not asking you to bathe. I'm asking you to bathe the wizard. Throw it on them, and it melts them instantly. No one knows why, so don't ask. Then hide their staves."

"That is so much trouble. Why don't we just devour them?"

"Well, sure, that's an option, but just make sure you get rid of the staff. It's very important. And if you see many wizards, let me know. Send a signal, howl or something."

"Why should we be concerned about wizards anyway?"

"Because they're taking over the forest! They're destroying the forest, and without my sword I can't restore it. You might go out for a hunt and return and find your den gone. Or, since you are magic beings, they may try to take magic out of you and leave you stuck in some form. You might be left a wolf forever!" I noticed that she didn't react, so I changed that. "You might be left a human forever!"

Anita snorted, flaring her nostrils and stomping her foot. "Very well. We will help you look for wizards."

"Thank you. And you could also help me if you spread the word. I don't know if I can visit every small kingdom and creature in my realm."

"There are not very many creatures with which we associate, but I believe I know one who can help spread the word. We shall let her know at once, never fear."

"Thank you, Anita," I bowed. "Well, I will not take any more of your time." I started to leave, but then I felt something tugging at his boot and heard something growling. I looked down and saw a tiny wolf chewing at my boot. Anita clapped her hands and said something in her native language, and the little wolf ran up to her. "Is that your child? Uh, cub?"

"Pup."

I got a closer look at the wolf. "She's cute." I quickly twisted something in the air and made a piece of cloth appear. "Here, little one, chew on this." I tossed it to the pup, and she went after it. Anita gave me a hairy eyeball, and so I quickly left.

I then went to all the smaller kingdoms in the Enchanted Forest I could reach in a day and gave the same warning. Luckily, I was much more welcome there than I was in the wolf people's den. They all agreed to help, particularly since they also noticed the problem. I noticed more barren places in the forest as I went along. I made it back to my castle by the evening in time for Cimorene's call, and I made sure not to tell her how serious things were so she wouldn't be worried. Yet I couldn't deny that I was worried, and I didn't sleep at all that night as I waited for signals. None came, so I faced the dawn with some relief. As I got ready for breakfast, thinking that maybe things weren't as bad as I had imagined, I walked past a large window, and my eyes just about fell out of my head. I ran out to a balcony and looked down in amazement and fear. The whole castle was surrounded by barren, dusty ground, not the lush grass and trees that there used to be, and all around the castle were more wizards than I had seen in his life.

"How could this have happened?" I thought aloud. "Willin!"

My chief servant Willin the elf instantly came to my side. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did you hear anything last night, any howls or similar signals?"

"No, Your Majesty. Last night was uncommonly peaceful."

"Then how could this be?"

Willin opened his mouth to answer, but then there was a twinkling blue light in the sky, and a fairy dressed all in blue appeared. "King Mendanbar, I am Reul Ghorm, also called the Blue Star. Anita summoned me after you left her den, and I made sure to take your warning to every creature in the forest."

"I thank you, milady, but what happened?"

"To be quite frank, Your Majesty, the wizards happened. They were expecting us for us. They moved in large groups so that it was increasingly difficult to attack them, and when we did attack them, our attacks had little effect. They successfully dodged just about any time anyone tried to douse them with soapy water. They had every manner of spell prepared to stop all the creatures who tried to signal you for help. Even when we fairies struck them with fairy dust, it turned into ordinary dust the moment it hit their shoulders. Before we knew it, they destroyed this section of the forest. Your subjects are very dismayed; they feel they failed you."

"Oh no, it's understandable. They did what they could. It sounds like the wizards are too powerful, though I had no idea they were this powerful."

"That's what brings me here. Your Majesty, I have come to warn you. I fear the wizards are not acting alone."

"Who's working with the wizards?"

"I cannot say for certain, Your Majesty, for I haven't seen it, but I have suspicions. You are right; they are not this clever or this powerful. I feel a very dark presence with them. You must be on your guard, Your Majesty. We will continue to do what we can to protect you, but if you meet this force, do not underestimate it."

"Thank you for the warning, Blue Fairy. Carry on." She flew away. I thought about what she said and looked again at the gathering wizards below. There was only one thing to do.

"Willin, gather all the castle staff and leave. I must face the wizards alone."

"No, Your Majesty. I shall stay with you to the bitter end."

"Willin, you have been my most faithful servant, and I don't want you to get hurt. Please, go."

Willin begged to stay, but I was adamant. So finally, he answered, "Very well, Your Majesty. It has been an honor serving you. Good luck." He bowed and walked backward. I looked down again. All I could hear was the pounding as all the wizards banged on the walls.

I ran through the castle, and whenever I saw a wizard, I would point at the wizard and use the melting spell. If the wizards tried to cast a spell on me, I countered with my own magic. There were so many of them, though, that I was to get tired. I felt his power draining with every spell. I kept thinking about how much easier this would be if I had my sword.

As I neared the entrance of the castle, I saw a group of about twenty wizards waiting for me. I braced myself for a hard fight, and then I saw the headwizard Zemenar out of the corner of my eye separate from the group. I stalked him, thinking that if I could get Zemenar to surrender this would all end. Yet when I followed him into the Great Hall, I lost him. As I searched for the wizard, just as I was about to demand that Zemenar show himself, the doors slammed shut behind me. It was so sudden, I turned around. That had to have happened by magic, but did Zemenar do it or the wizards outside? Just as suddenly, I felt a flare of magic behind him, and I swiftly turned just in time to see a funny-looking little man appear.

"Well, well, well, dearie, looks like you are in a tight spot."

I couldn't believe my eyes. "Herman?!"

The little man shook his head. "That's not my name."

"You told my wife and me that was your name!"

"Oh, it's a small matter. You may call me Herman if it is your pleasure. You are, after all, the _king_."

"What can I do for you?"

"Ah, it's what I can do for _you_. I've come to help you, dearie. How would you like this whole problem with the wizards to just suddenly disappear?"

"You can do that?"

The little man giggled. "Ending wars is what I _do_! It's one of the first things I did. Just ask your magician friend. But I've improved since then. I can make the wizards go away in the blink of an eye, before you can say . . . that ridiculous word you keep saying."

"Argelfraster?"

"That's the one!"

"How do you know about that?"

The little man hesitated, but then he grinned. "I've been watching you, dearie. And I can see how this magic is draining you. Why, you look so pale! You need my help, and I will gladly render my services."

"How do you propose we do it?"

The little man pulled out of his red velvet jacket what looked like a glittering, pink ball. My eyes widened; that couldn't be what it looked like. "This is Zemenar's heart. One little squeeze, and he falls down dead, and all the wizards will disperse."

"What about the sword?"

"Oh, it will be recovered in due time. There's just one little thing I need you to do."

"Fix your window? I told you a year ago you only needed to say the word, and I'd repair it."

"No! It has nothing to do with the window, you silly king! The window only showed me what I want; I need you to do something to help me take it."

"What is that?"

The little man came closer to me, his grin faded, and he said very coldly, "Abdicate your throne."

"What?!"

His eerily cheerful demeanor returned. "It's not a huge thing. Think of it as a permanent vacation. You and your wife can live the rest of your days happily and peacefully anywhere you desire, and I will take care of things here."

"Wouldn't it be easier if I just got that thing you want, whatever it is?"

"No, you'd never find it. Only I know what it is and where it is. When you met me, I was searching for a spell to get it, but with all the magic of the Enchanted Forest, I don't even need that spell."

I couldn't believe what this little man was asking, but something else was bugging me that I couldn't figure out. "And if I refuse?"

"Oh yes, I forgot that part!" His tone turned cold again, "If you refuse, I open these doors, and the whole Society of Wizards will rip you to pieces. It's up to you, dearie, your throne or your life."

I looked at the pink heart in the little man's hands, and it came to me. "The Blue Fairy was right. This whole thing wasn't the wizards at all. It's you! It's all you!"

The little man's eyes flashed angrily when I mentioned the Blue Fairy, but he quickly grinned again. "You're wasting time, dearie."

"Do you think I don't know that spell? If you hold Zemenar's heart, that means you're controlling him. You helped the wizards steal the sword, you helped them tear up the Enchanted Forest last night under my nose, and now you're doing like Cimorene said, you're acting all friendly with me like you're on my side and you're granting me a favor! Well, you know what, whoever you are? I disagree with Cimorene; I don't think you're adorable! In fact, I never trusted you! I knew from the start that you worked with dark magic and you were very dangerous!"

"That's all very charming to hear, dearie, but it still doesn't give me an answer."

"Then you're not paying attention. I'd never help you. Besides, even if I wanted to abdicate my throne, which I don't, there's no way I could give it to you." I couldn't help but chuckle. "You don't know how the Enchanted Forest works! The forest has to choose you, and I'm the one it chose. As long as I'm alive, I am the King of the Enchanted Forest, and as long as I'm in the Enchanted Forest, I cannot be killed."

The little man glared furiously. He dropped Zemenar's heart, ran to me, and plunged his hand into my chest. I felt him put his hand around my heart, which wasn't comfortable but not painful, because he couldn't take it. The magic of the Enchanted Forest had too strong a hold on it.

"That doesn't work either," I said, and I pushed the man off of me.

"The Enchanted Forest does protect you, but the moment I take you out of it—"

"I'll be in danger, yes, but you will still never get the throne."

"Why not?"

I knew this was the time to hold my ground. I stood back and sealed my lips.

"Answer me! Is it your wife, the Queen?"

I stayed silent. I tightened every muscle, determined not to give anything away.

"The sword has something to do with it, doesn't it?"

I crossed my arms.

"Very well. I may not be able to kill you, but I can make you _wish_ you were dead!" The little man raised his hands, which started to glow red, and traced a large rectangle in the air. A room entirely on fire could be seen through the rectangle. The little man tried to push me in, but I punched him. Then we began fighting, mostly just hand-to-hand, but we both threw in a little bit of magic hoping to get an advantage. In the end, I was just too drained of power, and the little man overpowered me and threw me in. "You wait in here for a few days and think. I'll come back and see if you're ready to tell me what you're holding back. Oh, one other thing to chew on, dearie—this isn't the Enchanted Forest. I can kill you here." He giggled, backed up, and disappeared.

I looked around and saw I was in a room on fire with no doors, no window, but there were curtains ablaze. There was absolutely no way out and no magic I could use to get out.

Those few days became seventeen years. The little man never came back.

Daystar can tell you more about how I got out. In fact, I think it's recorded in a novel somewhere. Then we had a few years of peace, then the curse happened, then I became a preacher. I decided a long time ago that I was going to preach hope to this miserable town, so I focused on Heaven and grace and salvation. I had many faithful members from the town, but I don't remember ever performing a baptism. I'm not sure I even remember anyone coming forward. Sometimes I tried to tell myself that everyone was OK, but deep down I knew better.

I had a troubled family life. My wife Esther was still very close to me, but our relationship with our son Luke was strained. He had problems in school, and he wasn't nearly as polite and obedient as he was as a prince. Then he did that stunt where he ran past the city limit. As you probably heard, Esther and I chased after him, and we all got struck by lightning. Esther and Luke had a remarkably fast recovery, but I wasn't so lucky. I got the worst of it; I still have burn scars around my head.

What you probably don't know is that Dr. Whale diagnosed me as insane.

Yeah, that's right. When I came to, I started screaming about a devil. Just before the lightning hit, I thought I saw Satan on the road, and I heard him yell something at me. I never really understood what he said, but it sounded like "Men . . . dead . . . bar." I thought he was tempting me somehow, and when I set my heart against him, he struck me down. Esther still visited me on a weekly basis. I kept talking about what I saw, so I wasn't released. I think adding to that I had some feelings and experiences that I couldn't really explain, things other people wouldn't consider "normal."

Like this. "It's so cold in here, Essie," I said to my wife one night when she was visiting.

"You're cold?" Esther answered. "Maybe you should put on your shoes."

"They took them away from me. Don't want me hanging myself with my shoelaces. They don't understand; I'm not depressed. I'm just . . ."

"Look, whatever comes next, you're not."

"Then why am I here?"

She didn't answer.

"It just feels like a tomb," I said. "I mean, the air used to feel so . . . alive, you know?"

"I've never noticed, Sweetie."

"How could you not? It was like being surrounded by bees, buzzing and humming all around you, but you're never in danger, 'cause they don't sting you."

"If you say so."

"It's so strange. It used to be I could feel it but not hear it. Now I hear it but I can't feel it."

She looked up. "That's the fluorescent light. How come you never told me this?"

"I always assumed you could feel it, too."

Esther checked her watch. "Well, I need to go pick up Luke. You won't believe how much he's changed."

"Has he got that tattoo?"

"No, it's for the better. Remember that visitor I told you about, Emma? She's really turned him around."

"When is he going to see me?"

"I think I might bring him next week. I think he's ready now. Oh, he'll be so glad to see you."

"And I, him."

Esther kissed my forehead, got up, and walked out the door. I put my head against the wall (a little too hard than I intended to) and sunk down into bed. "Men . . . dead . . . bar," I said to myself again. What did it mean? Why did it sound so familiar? I thought for the longest time it was a temptation, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt like I heard it before.

"Hello?" I heard a female voice say behind the wall. "Is there someone there?"

"Huh?" I put my ear against the wall. "It's just me. Who's this?"

"I wish I could tell you," the voice answered. "I've been here as far back as I can remember. I never see anyone; they just slide in food through the slot on the door."

"How do you know how to talk?"

No answer for a few seconds. "I don't know. I was trying to sleep, and I heard voices."

"You must be lonely."

"I am."

"You know, you sound like a princess."

"What?"

"There's just something, like the mournful cadence in your voice. You sound like a princess in distress."

"I'm not a princess," she responded with a laugh.

"Well, maybe we can pretend. It will make us both feel better. Think about it. If you were a princess locked away in a tower waiting for a curse to end, it gives you hope. It means your hero is coming to save you."

"What about you?"

"I'm . . . a prisoner. But I'm innocent, so maybe one day I'll be acquitted."

"What was your crime?"

I thought for a while and finally replied, "I wish I could tell you."

Throughout the week, I talked to the young woman in the other room. She never had much to say, but she asked me a lot of questions. I told her about my life and how I got placed in the mental ward. I told her jokes, stories, even a few of my sermons. She mostly just listened since she had little to offer in return. One night, though, I asked her to sing to me, and she sang a particularly enchanting lullaby about stars and memories and angels. I kept calling her Princess since I had no other name for her, and though I told her my name, she still sometimes called me Prisoner.

"I checked with the nurse up front," Esther told me on her next visit. "She said all the rooms are at the same temperature, which currently is sixty-eight degrees. It's room temperature."

"Alright. I suppose some tombs are warm in the summer."

"Well, she didn't say anything about the air buzzing. Anyway, like I promised, I brought Luke with me. Come on in, Luke!"

Luke seemed a little confused, but he was a lot less emo-looking than he was months ago. "Hello, Father," Luke said.

I hugged him. "Oh, my boy! You look so good."

"I brought my grades up in Science, Math, and English. And I got a job with Miss Swan in the sheriff's office."

"Good job! I'm so proud of you. You haven't been running off, have you?"

"No, sir."

"Such respect! This Miss Swan you mentioned, is that Emma that your mother told me about?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'd like to meet her sometime."

"I think I saw her upstairs. I'll see if she's free."

He ran out of the room and returned with a young woman with a suspicious look. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Reed. I heard a lot about you. Had no idea you were still alive, though."

"I just want to thank you for all you've done for my son," I answered. I took her hand.

"You might not wanna thank me ye—" she started to say, but then I gently kissed her hand. "Uh, OK."

I blinked a couple of times as I stood again. I thought he saw something flash before my eyes. I shook my head, and it disappeared.

"You certainly seem pretty cheerful today," Esther said. "What's going on?"

"Well, I did make a friend."

"A friend? Who?"

"The young woman in the ward next to mine."

Esther's eyes grew wide. "Pat, Honey, Regina told me that woman is dangerous!"

"She didn't sound dangerous. She doesn't even know who she is."

"Well, that's probably because they drugged her."

"She didn't sound drugged. She sounded tired, but I assumed that was because she was talking at night. Did Regina tell you anything else about her, like her name?"

"All she said was she's dangerous and to stay away from her. I don't think you should be talking to her."

But that night, after everyone else left, I talked to her anyway.

"I heard more voices in your room this evening," she said.

"That's right. I had visitors. Essie comes over to visit me once a week."

"Who's Essie?"

"My wife, Esther."

"You never said you were married."

"I didn't? I thought I did. Well, I am. I have a son, too."

"Oh."

"Is something the matter, Princess?"

"I just thought with all your calling me Princess that you were being sweet on me."

"No, I was just stating a fact."

"A fact?" She sounded a little angrier now. "So, you know what princesses sound like?"

"Yes. I mean . . ." More moments flashed before my eyes. I saw a young woman in a fancy dress crying while sitting by a glassy-looking pool, then I saw someone who looked a lot like Esther wearing a rust-colored apron I didn't recognize and she was wearing a small crown. I shook my head, and once again those images disappeared. "I'm using my imagination. I thought that would be like what a princess would sound like."

"Really?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I really am losing my mind."

"Losing your mi—you told me you were a prisoner!"

"I was being figurative!"

She groaned. "Good night!" She was silent after that.

"She sounded pretty angry," I thought. "I hope Essie's wrong. I don't need her to be dangerous." I went to sleep.

I was wakened by a knock on the door. I was confused; the only person who came through that door was Esther, and she wasn't coming until next week. A couple of people in lab coats opened the door before I could tell them to come in. I recognized one of them as Dr. Whale. "Sorry, Patrick," he said. "We need to move you to another ward."

"Why?" I asked.

"New patient coming in," the nurse with him replied.

"Can he go somewhere else? I'm fine here."

"Well, your wife raised some concerns yesterday, said you were conversing with the patient in the adjacent ward. We both believe you would be safer elsewhere," Dr. Whale explained.

"She's not dangerous!"

"I admitted her into the ward. I think I know her better than you do."

"You admitted me, and I'm not dangerous!"

"We still don't know that yet."

I looked at the nurse, and more things started flashing in my mind. "I think I remember you. Aren't you a cook?"

"Uh, no," she answered.

"But I was sure I remember you working in my kitchen. Yes, you make such delicious roasted turkey, though my wife always thought your desserts were subpar."

"He's hallucinating," Dr. Whale said. "Sedate him!"

Quickly, the two of them held me down and stuck a needle in my neck. It hurt tremendously, even making me cry out, but then I felt very sleepy. "Alright, but if you move me, could I at least get a warmer room?" I fell asleep before they answered.

The days afterward were all muggy. It felt like I was slipping in and out of clarity. I was in a place I didn't recognize that was darker and colder. I had moments that felt so real and yet felt out of my grasp. I just wished I had someone to talk to about it all, but I felt so alone. I just did a lot of sleeping, a lot of dreaming, just hoping everything would eventually make sense.

Then one day, I heard voices down the hall. They sounded distant, a young man's voice I didn't recognize and the princess. They were so far away that I couldn't tell what they were saying. Then I heard footsteps down the hall. I could hear them coming closer. I knew what I was doing was a risk, but I figured the worst thing that could happen was that it was a doctor who would sedate me. So I banged on the door the loudest I could and yelled, "PRINCESS! PRINCESS! SAVE ME!"

I stopped as I saw the doorknob turn. I stood back and held my breath. The person who opened the door was a young man I had never seen before, not in church, not even in Storybrooke. And yet, somehow, he still looked familiar. He wasn't wearing a lab coat, so I relaxed a little. Behind the stranger stood a woman with tangled hair I also hadn't seen before, but somehow just by looking at her he knew she was the princess.

The stranger looked at me with surprise. "The Sleeping King," he said quietly.

"What?" I said.

"You never told me you're a king!" the princess said.

"I'm not! I was but . . . I was?" More scenes flashed through my mind, and this time I couldn't make them stop so easily.

"Sorry, but he won't be much used to us," the stranger said. "Not unless he had his power, or his sword."

"What sword?" I asked, but the words barely left my lips before I heard a chorus of voices in my ears announcing, "All hail the Waker of the Sword! Hail!"

"Sword?" the princess asked.

"If anyone here has it, Mr. Gold will."

"I still want to save him. He's my friend."

"You will, but not now. He'll just get in our way."

"Sorry, Prisoner. I'll come back for you," the princess said sincerely as the stranger closed the door. I hardly noticed because the images running through my head were getting my full attention. I fell back down on the bed and tried to make sense of them all. Eventually I fell asleep.

I dreamed a recurring nightmare—the night that Luke ran away. I remembered how cold it was, how I was already soaked with rain by the time I got to the city limits and saw my son there. "Lucas, what are you doing?" I demanded.

"You keep preaching about another world, a better world, so why don't you prove it?" the boy answered. "If you want people to believe you, you should take them here! Step over the line! Show them there's a world beyond Storybrooke."

"I understand, but now's not the time for that, Son. Come home. Let's wait for better weather."

"Didn't you hear the song Jo picked out? 'Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late!'" Then he ran past the sign.

"LUCAS!" I started to run after him, but then I slipped on some mud. I felt someone catch me before I fell down. I looked up and saw my wife. "Essie, I told you to stay inside."

"Not for my son!" she answered, and then she ran ahead.

I tried to catch up to both of them, but the rain was weighing me down. I kept slipping. Essie was outrunning me, even in her Sunday dress and high-heeled boots. She caught up to Luke first. I was becoming more and more frightened. The thunder sounded dangerously close, and the clouds were starting to circle.

And then I heard someone yell something. I turned back and saw a dark figure in the shadows standing by the city limit sign. In my dreams, this always looked like an imposing figure that became more and more frightening every time I saw him. But this time, I saw the shadowy figure more clearly.

It was Herman Gold stretching out his hand to us, and the word he called out was, "MENDANBAR!"

In a split second, there was a brilliant white light, and the dream was over, but I was shaken out of sleep by another jolt. I felt it from head to toe, and I even wondered for a second if I was struck by lightning again. But this had a completely different feel than a bolt of lightning. This felt more like _a curse being broken by true love's kiss._

Then I realized the images that kept flashing in my mind since I kissed Emma's hand were memories of my life in the Enchanted Forest. Slowly, they started to come together and make more sense. For the first time in a long time, everything felt clear. When I was able to talk after processing everything, I said slowly, "I _am _a king!" I got up and repeated that aloud in several different ways. "_I _am a king. I am a _king_! I'm a king? I'M A KING!" I laughed at myself. "Mendanbar. My name is Mendanbar, just like the devil, Mr. Gold, said! I'm King Mendanbar. The Enchanted Forest chose me over all my brothers. I'm the Bearer of the Sword. I'm the Holder of the Sword. I'm the Wielder of the Sword. I'm the Waker of the Sword! Ha, ha! The sword? Where is it?" I looked in my dresser, under the bed, even in the toilet, but I couldn't find the sword.

"Wait. That guy said that Mr. Gold probably has it. He's right; Herman owns a store that's full of junk. I better go there." I put my hand on the doorknob but found it was locked. "Oh, how was it I usually got out of jams like this? Oh, that's right!" I snapped my fingers, but nothing happened. I was expecting a key to appear in the air in front of me, like it did in my castle. I started making a twisting motion in the air, but that did nothing either. "Now I'm starting to understand why this place feels so much like a tomb. I can't feel the magic anymore." I looked up at the skylights. "Oh, just my luck. Now it's starting to storm again!"

But then I noticed there was something strange about those clouds coming my way. I got on my bed to get a closer look, and I saw I was right—they were purple. Soon, all I could see in the skylights were purple clouds, and as they covered my window, the room started to feel much more alive. My skin felt tingly and warm. It was the welcoming feeling of magic.

I started to twist my fingers again, just to make sure, and I did feel something that felt like a thread of magic. I held onto it, but I decided not to use it until I had a plan. So I thought deeply about my next move and what I was going to say. Then, I tugged on the thread.

The spell worked just as it did in the Enchanted Forest. I was surrounded by mist for a few seconds, and then suddenly I found himself in Mr. Gold's pawn shop. I was in the storeroom just behind the owner.

"I had a feeling you'd figure things out, sooner than anybody else," Mr. Gold said as he slowly turned around.

I blinked hard, reminding myself that despite his calm demeanor, this was the same little man who imprisoned me for seven years. "Hello, Herman."

"You really need to learn my true name. It's—"

"Oh, I think I know."

Mr. Gold nodded. "So, why did you come here first? After being shut up again, I would've thought you'd use your powers to embrace your sweet wife and son once more. Or are you too anxious to bring justice down upon my head?"

"I'd be lying if I said I hadn't entertained the idea, but I decided against it."

"And what did I do to warrant this display of mercy?"

"You know what you did. My wife Essie—that is, Cimorene—she was right all along, wasn't she? You saved our lives."

Mr. Gold scoffed. "I just happened to be in the same place at the opportune time. It was a coincidence."

"It wasn't a coincidence, and you know it. You called my name, my real name."

"Yes, the only time I ever did that. I don't know what got into me."

"Yes, you did."

"Very well, I did. But know this—whatever I did was purely for my benefit."

"I have no doubt of that."

"But I didn't save your life, dearie. Your beloved wife is to be thanked for that."

"Cimorene? How?"

Mr. Gold smiled. "Draconian magic, incredibly strong. Not even the curse could strip it away."

"Her fireproofing spell? But she didn't have feverfew. She didn't say the couplet."

"There are different rules here. I don't know how it works! I'm sure your magician friend might tell you."

"Alright, fine. You still didn't kill me after sticking me in limbo, though I wasn't too happy about being left there for seventeen years.

"I couldn't help that! When I returned, those blasted dragons surrounded the castle with their own shield spell, and I couldn't break it. It only took me a little while to figure out what you were keeping from me, though—your unborn child."

"Wouldn't be the first time that's happened. Probably won't be the last. Now, where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"You know what, the sword!"

Mr. Gold shook his head. "Not here."

I held up my finger threateningly. "Are you lying to me?"

"If I had the sword, I'd know it. I'd guard it a lot more securely than I did the last time. You'd never get to it."

"So, where is it?"

"Where you left it."

"In the Enchanted Forest?"

"Don't sound so despondent, dearie! You should be thankful!"

"My power is in my sword, and I don't have it! What cause do I have to be glad?"

"Don't you remember the spell you and your magician set up? As long as the sword is in the Enchanted Forest, the Enchanted Forest cannot be destroyed."

"So . . . my home still exists. I just have to get back there. How?"

"I don't know. Puzzle over that question yourself, dearie. I have matters of my own to attend to. Go to your wife and son. Oh, but just to remind you, in case it ever comes up, this isn't the Enchanted Forest."

I was very frustrated. "Well, I know that! It's a disaster! The magic's all knotted and piled up and frayed. It's not at all as neat and orderly as it is in the Enchanted Forest."

Mr. Gold actually looked a little offended. "I only just brought magic back to Storybrooke. Give it time. It will settle." He turned away again.

I decided to walk out this time. On the way out of the store, I passed the princess. "Good news—I am a king." Before she could respond, I made my exit.


	5. Telemain, After the Curse Broke

Chapter 5: Telemain, After the Curse

Of course, I'm as happy as everyone that the curse is broken, but I feel it's been more difficult for me than anyone else. Twenty years of research of magic, all my books and experiments, are a world away out of my reach. Then I spent almost thirty years as an engineer whom no one respected. With all I went through, I think it's amazing I'm still thirty-two. I feel as old as I probably should be.

Once knowledge of magic returned to me, of course I was curious about what happened, but with no books to refer to, it's all been guesses. All the jargon that once came out of me so effortlessly had leaked out of my head somewhere along the way and been replaced by different jargon. And when magic returned, it just seemed to tantalize me more. I'm sure somewhere along the way I'll be grateful, but recent events just make me wish more and more if I had those books.

The first moment was just after the curse was broken. A wraith attacked Storybrooke and went after Regina. The queen didn't know what to do since her powers weren't working, and she called me. She was trying to get this interdimensional portal which was localized in a hat to work. I really didn't know. I tried what I could think of, but nothing worked. Daystar tried what he could too, but he also had no luck. Then again, we were both on a very tight deadline. The wraith came back that night. Morwen and I brought items to distract it. Regina brought the hat, but she still couldn't get it to activate, until Emma touched her arm. I took particular notice of that and wondered what it meant. But then the wraith grabbed her and pulled her into the other world. Snow White followed her, and I think Daystar tried, but then the portal collapsed. I know everyone was worried about Emma and Snow disappearing, but I just kept turning over in my mind that Emma opened the portal.

I continued to ponder over this incident for some time after, especially because I was certain that the prince or Regina would come to me and give me the task of retrieving Emma and Snow from out world. He did not, but someone did seek me to solve a magical problem, someone I did not expect.

He knocked late one morning until I opened the door. "Good day, magician," he said somewhat coldly. "I trust you remember who I am now."

I nodded. "Greetings to you, Dark One." My wife came to the door to see who it was. "Have you met my wife?"

"I don't believe I have." He forced a smile and took her hand. "Charmed, Sophia."

"It's Morwen, actually," she answered.

"Is that so?" He looked at her very closely. "I believe I've heard of you."

She took her hand away. "I know I've heard of you."

"Would you come in?" I said, trying to break up this cold meeting. "Morwen was just about to make her famous cider, now that she remembers the recipe."

"I can't, darling! I don't have any apples!"

"Well then, maybe some tea. Or, do we have some coffee left?"

"Tea will be fine," the Dark One answered.

"Tea it is," Morwen said quickly. "Come in, have a seat. Telley, dear, help me pick out a flavor." She pulled me into the kitchen, which was the back room of the first floor, and whisper very softly but very sharply, "What's he doing here? I know he's our landlord, but we paid the rent, haven't we?"

"I don't think this has anything to do with the rent," I answered. "I've been working with him, remember?"

"You've been working with him for almost a year, and he hasn't come here! You don't think this has to do with . . ."

"I do. It's about magic."

"But he probably knows more about magic than you do!"

"I'm not sure about that."

"Oh, you're right, probably no one but you and Mendanbar knows more about magic, but still, why does he want your help?"

"You see, in the Enchanted Forest, he was my contact on Dark Arts matters. We had something like a business relationship. It's complicated."

"How could you? I've heard of his reputation!"

"And it's not all bad! He stopped the ogre war, and he's a dedicated father, or at least he was at some point."

"Yes, but from there it was all downhill. Whatever he wants with you, I want you to decline. I don't think he's up to any good."

"Well, that's too bad, dearie!" the Dark One said from the other room. Morwen and I looked at each other in surprise. We both were whispering very softly. How could he have heard us? He stepped into the kitchen. "The fact is, your husband made a deal with me, and I always see my deals honored."

"That's quite alright, Dark One," I answered bravely. "I think I have enough working knowledge of the dark arts."

"I'm not talking about your end of the deal, silly magician! I'm talking about mine."

"You want me to enchant a window with a scrying spell?"

He slammed his cane. "NO! You Enchanted Forest people, why are you all convinced that I want that window back? It's little more than a crutch now! I want the real thing!"

"We just didn't know how important it was to you."

"What was important was what I saw in it, which brings me to my deal." He pointed at me with his cane. "You gave me your word that you would do all within your power to help me find my son. Do you remember that?"

I thought for a moment, and as I pulled up that memory I slowly nodded. "Yes, I remember. I also remember you said you didn't want my help."

"No, I said you _can't _help, and I was in distress. It doesn't make the deal any less binding. Now, I know something you _can _do that will help me get him back. You must honor your word, magician."

He was right. I looked sadly at Morwen and nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Meet me at the city limit, and I will explain."

"You better not harm him!" Morwen broke in. "You'll have me to answer to if you do."

"I assure you, dearie, your husband will be fine."

"And quit saying 'dearie' all the time! You sound like an old crone, and I know a few things about old crones. They're not pleasant."

"I know a few things about them, too, and they're not supposed to be."

"Well, obviously, you were never a member of the Deadly Nightshade Gardening Club where they actually gave being pleasant and social a shot."

"Darling, that's not important," I said, hoping to calm her down. "I'll meet you down there."

Once he was gone, she snapped me with a dish towel. "Why would you go and do that?"

"Well, like I said, I had a business relationship with him. I thought if I helped him, he'd help me understand more about magic." I got my vest out of the coat closet and put it on. "You never know, dear, this might lead to unexpected benefits."

She sighed. "You and your benevolence. I'm not sure I'd want to take a reward from him."

I went out to the city limit and found him standing near the sign. "You remember with the curse, if anyone tried to leave Storybrooke, they were met with disaster. I believe you had some personal experience with that, correct?"

"Yes. My closest friends were struck by lightning. They were lucky to survive."

As we came closer to the sign, I noticed an orange line spray painted on the ground. "Earlier today, Charming informed me that some dwarves attempted to cross the town line to see what would happen. What they discovered is that a person who crosses the town line loses his memories and returns to his persona during the curse."

"So, basically, we're still trapped here. And you can't search for your son because when you cross the line, you'll forget who he is."

"Exactly. So you're going to find a way fix that."

I stuttered for a moment. It was a bigger job than what I thought it was going to be. "I'm not sure if I can do that, sir."

"What's the matter, magician? Surely it's not too much magic for you. You're the one who modified the magic of an entire forest."

"Yes, but I don't have my books or my equipment! All my extensive knowledge of magic has been replaced with physics and electronics and such."

"Well, I got you your vest again, didn't I? Go through the pockets. I may have other things of yours in my shop that I'll let you borrow."

"Borrow?!"

"We'll talk about it. Now, quit wasting time! Start trying to figure it out what's going on. Just make sure you don't cross the line yourself." He turned away.

"But Dark One, how do I-?"

"Takes magic to make magic, magician!" he called back.

So I spent hours pondering over that space. I could sense, just barely, that there was something different there, but I couldn't hear it or feel it or see it. I found some rings in the pockets that reacted by glowing and humming, but I couldn't remember what they meant. I just felt so frustrated. This used to be so easy.

Then, I heard someone coming. I thought it was the Dark One, but as he started coming closer I could see it was Daystar. "Hi, Telemain."

"Prince Daystar. Why are you not in school?"

"I just graduated. The principal, or Willin, said I didn't need to go to school anymore. I'd work at the sheriff's station, but with Emma gone, I don't have much to do with myself." He looked where I was studying. "So, Leroy was right, huh?"

"You sense it, do you? What's it like?"

He ran his fingers through the air above the town line. "Have you ever watched _Star Trek_? It's sorta like a force field. You know, staticky, sorta like a wall."

"Do you know if you can do anything to change it or stop it?"

"I don't know. It feels pretty powerful. Maybe if Father and I worked together, we might be able to do something about it. I guess you're trying to stop it?"

I nodded. "The Dark One gave me that task."

"The Dark One?"

"Oh, Rumpelstiltskin."

"Ah, Herman!"

"That's not his name."

"It's what Mother and Father call him."

"Yes, and I don't understand why." I looked up and noticed something on Daystar's arm. "What's that? Did you get that when you were hit by lightning?"

"Oh, yeah. Another badge of shame. You know, I was going to cover it with a tattoo? Good grief, I was so stupid!"

I wanted to tell him that he could not help it, that he was just a kid, but my brain was already in gear. I reached into one of my pockets and found a pad of paper and a pen. I started to write down everything in my mind. Then, I ran to the pawn shop. The Dark One wasn't there. So I started to wander around tow

Then I saw Mendanbar and Cimorene go into the sheriff's station, and for some reason, I followed them. I probably should not have; it was none of my business. Perhaps it was initially to say hi. They met Prince Charming there.

"Good afternoon, Charming," Mendanbar greeted.

"Your majesties," he answered with a bow.

"Cimorene and I were talking, and we believe we have a plan to get back Emma and Snow White."

"All we need," Cimorene said, "is a dragon."

James nodded uncertainly. "Excellent. Luckily, we have one just lying around, what's left of it."

"No, you don't understand. All true dragons know the way back to their kingdom in the Mountains of Morning, and as you might remember, the Mountains of Morning are right outside the Enchanted Forest. We just got to get one, fly it back there, find them, and then come back.

"We're thinking about sending Daystar out to find one," Mendanbar added. "He's got connections with others in this world who might be able to help, and he's wanted to get out for so long."

"Get out?" Prince Charming asked. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow that, not with this crazy thing with the town line."

"Well, we're going to give him instructions. So many people on quests start without knowing who they are or what they are doing. You know that as well as anyone. You met Daystar when he was on his quest, right?"

But he held his ground. "Sorry, I'm not going to risk it."

Ruby looked in. "Charming, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Excuse me," he said softly and walked passed them.

"For what it's worth," I said, "I think it's a good plan."

"Thank you, Telemain," Mendanbar said.

"I think something can be done about that town line, though if my theory is correct, we will not be able to do anything about it right away."

"Well, as long as you know what to do. I trust you, Telemain."

"By the way, Telemain, is Morwen OK?" Cimorene asked. "We passed by her going to see Dr. Whale a little while ago."

"She seemed fine when I left her. Maybe it was just a check-up," I answered.

"Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board with us," Mendanbar said. "We'll figure this out."

"Have you seen Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Not since yesterday, but the less I see of him, the better." They went on before I could ask them anymore.

So I went back on my search, and I finally found him around Regina's house. "Ah, there you are, magician. So, how's it coming?"

"I believe I know why this is happened, and I have developed a theory of how to counteract it."

"Counteract it? Not fix it?"

"Well, that's the thing. As you know, magic is based mostly on emotions. The stronger those emotions are, the more powerful the spell, but also the more easily the spell can be broken. Now, the curse was based on emotions of hatred and revenge, and as such emotions are in real life, it could be countered and defeated with true, pure love. Yet as such emotions are in real life, even when the wound is healed, it leaves behind a scar."

"So, that's what the town line is, a scar?"

"Yes, it's a remnant of the curse, and, unfortunately, like a scar, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to heal." I said it very cautiously because I knew he wouldn't like that news.

"Well, what do you propose we do about it?"

"I have a theory. I think we have to take it on as we did the curse. As I surmised before the curse took place, we need two elements. The first element is very powerful and concentrated magic."

"No problem there."

"You sure? That's probably the part I'm the least certain about how best to construct."

"We'll figure it out. What else?"

"The other element is the counter-emotion, love. Perhaps this could be in the form of a token. For instance, in my case, I would probably use my wedding ring. Do you have something that belongs to your son, by chance?"

He nodded. "I do, his shawl. So, I see, we need to make a potion of concentrated magic, put it on the shawl, and wear it as I cross the line. That's all I need?"

"Actually, no. I believe there's one other ingredient that is necessary to bond these two elements together."

"And what would that be?"

I sucked air through my teeth. He wasn't going to like this. "Emma."

"Emma? What does she have to do with anything?"

"I saw Regina try to do a spell but was unable until Emma touched her arm. I wondered what it meant until today. I think Emma is a magic catalyst. She has in her the power to start magical reactions. And in this setting where magic is not as natural a phenomenon as it is in the Enchanted Forest, I believe this power is necessary."

"So, we need to get her back and find a way to capture that power."

"Basically, yes."

He nodded. "I believe that can be done."

"You're not upset? Because it is going to take some time."

"Oh, I can be patient." He started to leave, and he looked at me. "You did well, magician. I will not overlook this."

"So, am I out of the deal?"

He chuckled. "If only it were that easy."

I went home that evening. "Telley?" Morwen called from the kitchen.

"Morwen, darling," I said joining her. "You won't believe what he wanted me to do. It seems there's a leftover enchantment on the town line. If one were to cross it, he'd forget his memories from the Enchanted Forest and revert back to the personality during the curse. With that magic in effect, the Dark One couldn't go to search for his son, so he wanted me to fix it."

"The curse is broken," she replied.

"I know, dear, but I discover that such a curse often leaves behind a scar. That's what this is. And like the curse, I think I know how to counter it, but I do not believe it can be defeated."

"Darling, the _curse _is broken."

"Yes, I _know,_ but sometimes . . ." I turned to her, and I saw the way she was looking at me. Then I remembered. "Cimorene said she saw you going to the doctor. Are you . . .?"

She smiled and whispered, "You're gonna be a father."

I couldn't think of anything to say at first, but that was a moment when words weren't needed. We laughed. We cried. We hugged and kissed. Our personal curse had indeed come to an end. At long last, we were starting a family.

Finally, I was able to speak. "Are you alright, dear?"

"Yes, I'm alright."

"We need to take to take care of you now. You need to lie down, take it easy, make sure nothing happens to it—I mean him, her, them?" We burst out laughing again. "Anything you need, dear, I'll take care of it."

"Anything?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Well, for now, there's one thing."

"Name it!"

"I was thinking, do you think he did this?"

"He? He who?"

"Your friend, who came here earlier today?"

"The Dark One? No, no. He still believes that magic comes with a price, and a baby is pretty steep."

"Telley, I know his story. His wages for one favor was a firstborn child."

"Actually, I hear a lot of that story was a myth."

"Well, whatever it is, I just think about what you did today for him, and I'm a bit uncertain. He may have caused this to happen as a reward for what you did."

"That's just not like him at all. I mean, he did say he wouldn't overlook what I did, but he didn't say he'd reward me, and this just seems too big a reward."

"Well, could you just go find out? Because if this is the spawn of the Dark One, he can have it!"

A strong response, and not one I was expecting from her. I went to the Dark One's shop. He greeted me. "Magician, what brings you here?"

"Dark One, did you do it?"

"Do what?"

I nodded. "That just might be all the all the answer I need." I started to leave.

"No, what is it, magician?"

I stopped. "My wife is pregnant."

"Oh, congratulations. Well done."

"Well, she wants to know if you, somehow, caused her pregnancy because of today."

"What are you suggesting? I didn't touch her."

"Of course, I know. I meant, by magic."

"You know me better than that."

"Yes, of course. I'm asking on her behalf, you understand. Just making sure."

He shook his head. "No, there are some things even my magic can't do. That can only come about by true love. You were a man of faith under the curse, weren't you?"

"Well, I sometimes lead songs at the little congregation on Main."

"Then you should know that there's a difference between magic and miracles."

"Uh, technically, it's not a miracle. Miracles defy all laws of science, but procreation occurs every day." I didn't want to seem like a jerk, but that was the engineer part of me.

"Ah, but you don't know the child's full story. I see good things."

"I don't want to know! Pardon me, but clairvoyance and divination are part of a very inexact branch of the thaumaturgical arts, which I do not trust." I was a bit surprised and impressed at the level of vocabulary coming from my mouth. Maybe I hadn't entirely lost it. "Besides, I'd rather be surprised. It's part of the experience of being a father, isn't it? So, please don't tell me."

He smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it. Goodnight, magician."

"Dark One," I replied with a bow.

On the way home, I heard a loud, "Hoo-hoo-hoooo, hoooo, hoooo. Hoo-hoo-hoooo, hoooo, hoooo," noise. I thought it was an owl, but then I saw Daystar sitting in a tree.

"What are you doing?" I called.

"Trying to call an owl. There's probably one somewhere, don't you think?"

"What are you looking for an owl for?"

"If I can catch one, I can send a message, to the wizard world, you know."

"Oh yes, I heard your parents try to plan you taking a quest."

"Yeah, we talked about it last night. I was raring to go, and when James turned us down, we made this Plan B." He looked over. "Speak of the devil."

One of the sheriff's vehicles drove up, and Prince Charming poked his head out. "Hey, is that you Daystar? Get on down. You parents are looking for you."

I thought he just said they agreed to this, but it's not my business. "For the record," Daystar said to him as he came down, "I disagree with your premise."

"My premise?"

"The one you gave earlier today, that we are both. I'm nothing like the person I was under the curse. I'm ashamed of him."

"Well, you couldn't be held responsible. I'm not proud of everything I did as David Nolan."

"All the same. I think there's only one thing we have in common. We're both empty inside, and the only difference is I know what that emptiness is."

"What is it?" I asked.

He sighed. "Shiara. I looked all over Storybrooke. She's not here."

Charming put his hand on Daystar's shoulder. "You'll find her. You'll always find her."

"How do you know?"

"Because you love her."

"She's just my friend."

Charming looked at her more closely. "You love her. Now, let's get you home."


	6. Shiara, When Emma and Mary

Note: Well, I know I have one fan out there. I hope you're reading this; I'm glad you "love" it. I'd love to get more reviews.

Chapter 6: Shiara, When Emma and Mary Margaret were in the Enchanted Forest

I knew something was wrong when the hatchling dragon told me it smelled something.

Usually, the smell was quite foul, and that meant ogres were heading our way. The dragon usually could scare them away with a loud roar. But it told me this time it smelled like flowers.

"What kind of flowers?" I asked.

"I don't know. There are so many it's hard to tell them apart. And they're moving."

"Moving? Flowers don't walk, not even enchanted ones."

"You think I don't know that, princess? Wait a minute." The dragon sniffed the air again. "There's another smell in those flowers. It's like . . . salt."

That's when I saw movement along the border. "Shh!" I got on its back and motioned for it to crouch down. "Forward," I whispered. He crept forward just a few inches, and I saw what the dragon was smelling—humans.

"Look at that," one of them said. "The grass is definitely greener on the other side." That was a woman with long blond hair. She reached down and plucked a blade. Well, that's not necessarily a crime, yet. She came forward a little, but then she shivered and started buttoning her jacket.

"You cold, Emma?" a man with dark hair asked her. "Here, take my sweater."

"It's OK, just a little bit nippy."

"No, here." He came closer. "That's funny. It doesn't feel cold to me. It's actually really warm."

"I don't what to tell you. It was like a chill went right down my spine."

"Well, to me, it feels like the air is . . . I don't know, humming, vibrating."

"Then that's not heat or lack thereof," another man in full armor said. "It's magic."

"Magic?" the woman asked.

"Of course!" the other man said. "This must be the Deep Woods!"

"The Deep Woods? Is that bad?"

"Well, it's like the heart of the Enchanted Forest. The further in you go, the more magic there is."

"And it can be more dangerous," the other man said.

"Mulan's's right. Everything you see may be enchanted. You have to be very careful. You can drink from a stream and turn into an animal or pick a flower and take its place."

"OK, I got it. No drinking, no flower-picking," the woman said.

The second man said, "But there is a rumor I heard about this place. I wasn't sure it existed, but they say it isn't cursed."

I think this man knew the truth, and I didn't want them to start. I hit the dragon's side. "Go!" I ordered. The dragon rose and charged at the humans and let out its largest roar in their faces. They didn't scatter. The man with armor even drew a sword. So I set my hair ablaze and yelled, "Halt! In the name of her terrible majesty King Kazul, identify yourselves!"

The first man came closer to the dragon. "Shiara? Is that you?"

I wasn't expecting any of them to know my name, so I slid off the dragon's back and approached them. As I looked closer at the person who addressed me, I saw it wasn't a man at all. This was a princess I met in the Enchanted Forest a long time ago. "What happened to your hair?" I asked.

"What happened to yours?" the first woman scoffed.

I closed my hand in a fist, and my hair went out.

"Uh, the curse changed things in our appearance," the princess answered with a sweet smile.

"Well, you better hope it grows back out," I said. "I thought you were a man, or an overgrown pixie."

"So, we're just ignoring that there's a dragon here, and that woman just turned into a human torch?" the other woman asked.

"I'm a fire-witch," I answered.

"Well, good for you."

"Uh, this is Emma, my daughter," the princess said. "She's not really familiar with this world. See, Emma, a fire-witch is a powerful sorcerer who gets their magic naturally, particularly powers dealing with fire."

"Yeah, I can figure that out. And the dragon?"

"Well, most dragons are fine if you're polite to them. This one's just a baby." She reached up to pat its nose.

The dragon moved its head out of the way. "A baby? I'm almost a hundred years old!"

I pointed to the armored man. "What about you?"

The man took off the helmet and revealed that wasn't a man either. "Mulan," she answered.

"You were about to tell them something. What do you know about this place?"

"Not much. I know the Sleeping King used to live here, and somehow he did something that kept this place from getting cursed."

"Have you come to steal the sword?"

"The sword? It's still here?"

Then, I heard a sound, and I saw another woman with long red hair come running back. "He got away," she sighed.

"It's for the best, Aurora. Like I said, it's best not to take along a pet this late in the journey."

"I know, but he's so cute!"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

She backed away when she saw me. "A fire-witch!" Then she screamed and nearly fell over. "A dragon!"

The princess helped her back up. "It's alright, Aurora. Shiara's an old friend of mine."

"But I won't be so friendly if you don't answer my question," I threatened. "What were you chasing?"

"The cat," she answered.

"Cat? What did it look like?"

"It was white with brown splotches and one black spot around its nose."

"That's Phantom, one of Nightwitch's kittens."

"Oh yeah, what happened to Nightwitch?" the princess asked.

"I lost her, just before the curse. I think she sensed it coming, and it scared her, but I since heard that she mated with one of Morwen's cats."

"Morwen? Her cats survived the curse? How?"

"How should I know? The dragon was never able to get a straight answer out of them. Cats like being mysterious. Technically, their feral now, but they take care of themselves, and they're still, well, somewhat civilized. Well, if Phantom led you here, it was probably for a reason. I'll let you pass, but you have to swear you're not going to steal the sword!"

"Don't worry, we won't touch it," the princess answered.

"We don't need a sword," Emma answered. "We're just looking for a way back to Storybrooke."

"Storybrooke?" I asked.

"You know, where we were during the curse," the princess explained.

"You want to go back to the world without magic?"

"For now, yes. People we know and love are still there."

"So, you haven't all returned? The king and Daystar are still there?"

She nodded.

"I thought you were all going to return when the curse was broken."

"We all did," Emma answered.

"Well, you're free to look around in the castle."

"What castle?" As if on cue, we felt a shifting beneath our feet. The forest was moving around us, and when it stopped, there was a large, white building in front of us that was just out of sight a few moments ago.

"That castle."

"Oh, wow! Is this Mendanbar's castle?" the princess cried out. "It's beautiful!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Emma said. "Mendanbar? Who's Mendanbar again?"

"Oh, Pat Reed, the preacher."

"Luke Reed's dad? So this is where Luke is from?"

"Who's Luke Reed?" Aurora asked.

"That's what Daystar was known by during the curse."

"So you know Daystar?" I asked.

"Yeah. Most of the time, he was kinda a mean kid. The curse changed a lot of things."

"But he's better now," Emma said.

"Well, yeah, I should hope so," I said. "The curse is broken now. Are you sure he's not here?"

"Yeah. Everybody's back in Storybrooke. Why does it matter?"

"You have no idea. Come on, I'll show you around."

It had been years since I brought anyone into the castle. They were all amazed at how big and how beautiful it is. And there were a lot of magic surprises none of them expected. In the Great Hall. Aurora tried to go up the left one, but she remained on the first step. "Oh, that staircase only goes down," I told her. "Don't ask, I don't understand it either. The one on the right goes up, and don't even take the one in the middle. It doesn't go anywhere; it's just for show." But once they had the stairs figured out, they looked everywhere. Emma was the most meticulous. She looked behind every door, in every book, even under every rug. She really wanted to find her way home.

But she paused when she got to the study because it was a wreck. Compared to everywhere else in the castle, it was in the worst shape. "What happened here?" she yelled.

"Oh, this is where the curse hit," I explained from the doorway. "It started here and goes down the whole west wing. It really did a number here, and it's not really safe. Look at all the broken glass. That was the magic mirror."

"What's that up there? Looks like a hole torn out of the wall."

"That's where the gargoyle used to be."

"A gargoyle? Inside?"

"Yeah. It's one of the more memorable parts of the castle. Now, he's gone. I guess the curse got him, so he's probably somewhere in that place you say you're from. Storybook?"

"Story-_brooke."_

"Alright, excuse me. Anyway, let's go someplace else. Let me show you the kitchen. I think you'll like that." She followed me, but then she lingered as she looked out the window into the courtyard, and I knew she was looking at the sword. "Come on!" I called, and she said, "Coming!" pretty angrily. I have to admit, she reminded me of me in a lot of ways.

I showed them the kitchen with the magic cabinets that provided any food imaginable. Though it didn't work quite the way they planned. Mulan opened the door and found dough, rice, meat, and various vegetables. "I was just hoping for some _joutza_."

"What-za?" Emma asked.

"I think you call it 'dumplings.'"

"Well, if it's something you have to prepare, sometimes it just gives you the ingredients. It's not a huge issue around here. The dragon wants things raw, and if I want something, I can cook it easy."

"Well, I guess I'll have to show you all how to make it," Mulan said. So we all cooked food from her kingdom for dinner, and we talked a lot more.

"So, I don't get it," Emma said. "Who exactly is Mendanbar? What's his role?"

"He's the King of the Enchanted Forest," the princess answered.

"Sure, Mary Margaret, that's what you've been saying, but I thought Regina was the queen, or you were the queen or the princess, I'm just not straight on anything."

"Well, Regina is _a _queen. There are a lot of little kingdoms and castles in the Enchanted Forest, and each king and queen looks over them. Mendanbar's kingdom, however, covers all of them, the whole Enchanted Forest. He's the High King."

"OK, so every kingdom is like a state, every king or queen is a governor, but Mendanbar is the President?"

"I guess it's something like that."

"He's mostly the king of the forest's magic," Mulan said.

"So, why is it this place isn't curse?" Emma asked. "Is it like 'sacred ground' that can't be cursed?"

"No, that can't be," the princess answered. "Because it was cursed for most of my lifetime."

"What happened?"

"Well, about twenty years ago—"

"Actually, it's more like forty years," I said.

"No kidding?"

"Yeah, but then again, time kinda stopped here, so maybe it's not so much of an issue."

"OK, well, as I was saying, a while ago, the Society of Wizards, which are not good guys, they steal magic, stole the Sword of the Enchanted Forest. With that in their power and outside the border, they could destroy large portions and take the power for their spells. Well, Queen Cimorene and some of their friends went out to look for it, but they never returned, and the sword was lost. Meanwhile, the King was attacked by the Society of Wizards, and he disappeared. They put a shield around the castle and destroyed the area all around it."

"Well, everything looks fine now. How'd it get like that?"

"Daystar came. He was only sixteen. He had the sword but didn't know how to use it, but he was able to get the shield down and free his father. In a very short time, Queen Cimorene reemerged, and they restored the kingdom."

"Alright, so how did they stop this curse? And if they did stop the curse, why are they now in Storybrooke?"

"That I don't know."

"I can answer that," I said. "The magician Telemain discovered that the curse can be countered by very powerful magic and by true love. When the curse came, they went out here and called on all the magic of the Enchanted Forest, using their position and counting on their love as a family. But Daystar got distracted and broke the spell. King Mendanbar and Queen Cimorene tried to get him back, but it was too late. Then I was sent to guard the sword, make sure no one takes it until the curse is broken and the king returns. Kazul, the King of the Dragons, sent me this hatchling to help, and it's been very good with scaring the ogres away."

"Bet you really miss Daystar," the princess said.

I scoffed. "Yeah, I miss him. He still hasn't fixed the politeness spell he put on me."

"Politeness spell?" the princess and Emma said at the same time.

"OK, you see, fire-witches are suppose to do magic easily, without even thinking about it, since it grows naturally in us, but for some reason, I never could use my magic unless I lost my temper. When I met Daystar, I wanted to look at his sword. There was a moment when we both were touching it, and something happened. A few times after that, I was able to do magic for the first time in my life, and we discovered that the sword awoke my power. However, say Daystar was touching the sword at the same time, he secretly was wishing I was more polite, so now I can only do magic when I'm polite. And I don't wanna be restricted like that! And the stupid prince kept saying he'd fix it, but he never does!" By this time my hair was ablaze. Everyone stared at me, and I quickly put it out.

"I don't blame you," Emma said. "A temper can be effective sometimes."

We talked a bit more. I started asking them questions on their side, and Aurora wanted to know more about the dragon. Emma seemed impressed when I told her about dragon royalty, that a king is just the name of the position, regardless of gender. "Feminist dragons. Awesome," she said, even sure I don't know what that meant. When all was said and done, I let them sleep in some of the guest rooms. I slept outside with the dragon, in case any ogres came late at night.

The dragon woke me early in the morning. "Shiara, I smell it again. Salty, moving flowers."

"Where's it coming from now?"

"No, it's leaving. It's going to the courtyard!"

"Great, one of our guests is a lying, cheating thief."

"Want me to eat her this time?"

"Not yet, just go."

The dragon crept to the courtyard where we saw Emma very slowly approaching the sword. I ran over to her. "What do you think you're doing? After my hospitality, you're stealing the sword?"

"Look, Shiara, I just thought I might give it a try," Emma said. "Nothing else in the castle can help us get home, and even I can feel how powerful this thing is."

"That's too bad. The only people who can take that sword and use it are King Mendanbar and Prince Daystar."

"You know, I think we should take a cue from the dragons. Why should we limit ourselves to the male royal family? Why can't a woman pull a sword out of the stone, or clod of dirt or whatever, for once?"

"Being a woman doesn't have anything to do with it! This is not for you to decide!"

"Look, what will you do if they don't come back, huh? Mary Margaret and I pretty much got here by mistake. We don't know how we'll get home, and when we do, we don't know how, or if, we'll come back. Mendanbar and Daystar may never come here again!"

"No, I don't accept that. I can't accept that!"

Emma put her hand on my arm. "Just let me try. If I can't take it, I'll leave it. No harm, no foul. But if I can pull it out, let me use it for just a second. I won't take it with me. I don't have any interest in the sword whatsoever."

"Alright, but I'm watching you."

Emma raised up her sleeves, went to the hilt, rubbed her hands together, then wrapped her hands around the hilt . . . and screamed. She let go and looked at her hands, and she looked very near tears. But then she bit her lip and tried again, this time giving the sword a firm tug. Something was sent through the air, like an invisible lightning bolt, that I could feel shake me deep down to my bones. She quickly let go. "Well, that settles that. It won't let me take it. See, what did I tell you? No problem."

"No problem?! Did you not feel that?"

"Feel what? Besides the searing pain in my hands."

All the women in her party came out, and they all looked irritated. "What's going on?" Aurora said sleepily.

"Emma, what are you doing?" the princess said. "Didn't I tell you that only the King of the Enchanted Forest and his family can touch that sword?"

"No, and it would've been nice to have _known_," Emma said.

"Well, I should've told you. I learned the hard way a long time ago."

"Alright, fine. Now, what are you talking about? What woke you guys up?"

"It was like a shockwave."

"A huge jolt of magic," Mulan said. "I haven't felt magic so strong since the curse."

"What does it mean?" Aurora asked.

"It means the whole forest now knows its here." That was a cold female voice that didn't belong to any of them. Suddenly, I was aware of a woman standing out here with us, a much older woman in a cloak.

"Cora," Emma responded flatly.

"Hello again, Dear."

"Don't you 'dear' me. You just destroyed our only way home. And frankly, I thought Mary Margaret and I took you out."

"Oh, you silly girl. You should know it's not that easy. So, the Sword of the Enchanted Forest. I've been searching for this for ages. I thought it was lost forever. What untold power it would bring me."

"Well, too bad," the princess said. "You can't touch it."

"My dear Snow, I don't _need _to touch it to use its power."

"But you won't!" I said. I stepped between her and the sword. "It's my job to guard the sword. I cannot allow you to take it."

Emma put her hand on my shoulder. "If I were you, I'd back out. Cora can get pretty nasty."

The older woman looked at me and laughed. "Oh, yes, I've heard of you. You're the little fire-witch that has to be nice to use her powers. Do you really think you'd be a threat to the likes of me?"

"I don't care if I am or not. I'm doing my job. DRAGON, ATTACK!"

It started charging at her, but she said, "I wouldn't do that," and she pulled out of a cloak a small purple fern with spiky leaves. I knew right away what that was.

"DRAGONSBANE!" The dragon stopped in its tracks and started sneezing. She smiled wickedly and started waving her hand over the dragonsbane. "You, with the sword, stop her!" Mulan drew her sword and started fighting, but the woman rolled the dragonsbane into a ball and threw it toward the dragon. The princess started tending the dragon, cleaning the herb off its scales.

"Well, that takes care of that," the woman said. "Now, the sword."

"Don't you dare!"

"Or you'll do what?" She raised her hand, and I could feel the power shifting. She was lifting the sword out of the earth without touching it, using magic. But I could feel something else too, a strong force bubbling up inside of me. I raised up my hands, and a ring of fire surrounded us. The more I raised my arms, the higher the flames climbed. I had never done something this impressive, and even I was amazed. The woman moved her hands in a cutting movement, trying to stop the flames, but they only climbed higher. I pushed the flames toward her, but as they closed in, she shrieked and vanished. I lowered my arms, and the fire went out, but nothing looked burned. The sword was still in the ground, safe.

"Wow. That was impressive," Emma said.

"How'd you do that?" the princess said.

"She's a fire-witch," Aurora said.

"But she can't do anything unless she's polite, remember?"

"I don't really know," I answered. "I just knew what I had to do, and I did it."

"Maybe you were motivated by love. Were you thinking of Daystar?"

"No! I was just thinking of protecting the sword, and that's what I did." I looked at Emma. "I think it had something to do with you."

"Me?" she said. "What do I have to do with it?"

"The only time I felt anything close like that before was when Daystar showed me his sword. It was like a jolt inside of me, and I was able to do magic for the first time. I felt something like that again, when you touched my shoulder."

"Well, I don't know why."

"Emma," the princess said, "you know you have magic inside of you. It's the same power that broke the curse!"

"I really don't think I do."

"Well, it doesn't matter," I said. "Whatever you did, thanks." I figured if she didn't break the politeness spell, that at least meant I could do it another time.

"I don't think I did anything. Well, anyway, since there's nothing here we can use, we should move on."

Everybody agreed. As soon as the dragon was taken care of, they started leaving. Mulan asked for some _joutza _for the road, but she made it herself. Then they all said goodbye to me and thanked me for everything. But before Emma left, she made an offer to me.

"Come with us."

"I can't."

"Look, nobody's gonna steal that old sword. The forest won't let it. And hey, you really kick butt; we can use you."

"No, when I say I can't, I really mean I can't." I walked to that place where the green grass and tried to step over, but it was like my foot hit an invisible wall. I put my hands out and pressed against it to also show her.

"I don't understand."

"Just before Daystar fell subject to the curse, he called my name, and by doing so, he summoned me here. Now, the forest has made it my duty to guard the sword, and it won't let me leave until he or his father returns and rightfully reclaims it. Kazul was nice enough to lend me one of her grandchildren to help, but you see what I mean when I say I can't accept what you said?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Well, I know what it's like to be stuck in a job you hate but you can't get out of."

"Will you do you all you can to bring them back here? I mean, I'd really like to see him . . . I mean, get out of this, go home—"

"You know, I think I should give you something." She pulled out of her jacket a rose. "Just after magic returned to Storybrooke, Daystar pulled this out of thin air to thank me for breaking the curse. I think he'd want you to have it. You know, give you something to remind you of him until he does return."

I took it from her. "Thanks. So, will you?"

"Well, I'll try. I'll tell him we saw you, definitely."

And that was it. They left. I'm still here, and Daystar is still gone. But I think about him more, and something tells me he thinks about me more now.

And I'll tell you what else—I've had that rose for weeks now, and it hasn't started wilting.


End file.
